Foreigners poised to swarm local construction sites

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SIBU: The influx of foreign workers in the construction industry is imminent as locals opt to work in other industries to earn more.

Chairman of Sarawak Building and Civil Engineering Contractors Association Siek King Kuong said the problem of manpower shortage had become more serious during the past six months.

The problem, he lamented, had delayed the completion of quite a number of construction projects.

“Employers might resort to hiring more foreign workers as a stop gap measure,” he told a press conference here yesterday.

Iban workers, either skilled or unskilled, presently formed some 90 per cent of the manpower in construction sites, he said.

“I have checked with other construction sites and they (contractors) are tearing their hair out. The shortage of manpower has caused even housing projects to be delayed,” Siek said.

He elaborated that many construction workers were now keen to switch to become rubber tappers as the commodity was now commanding a good price in the market.

Others preferred to work in oil palm plantations and timber camps, rather than sweating it out in construction sites.

Because of this turn of events, more foreign workers might make their way here eventually to fill up the vacuum.

On another matter, Siek, who is also Sibu Division Building and Civil Engineering Contractors Association chairman, said the lack of vehicles to transport premix had caused the delay in tar-sealing of several roads here.

Citing an example, he revealed that stones had been laid in several Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) road projects but they could not be tar-sealed.

“There is enough premix stock but the lack of transportation has affected the supply of the material,” he lamented.

Siek explained that a special vehicle was required to transport premix.

“It is not possible to use an ordinary lorry to carry the material as premix needs to be kept at a certain temperature. It will not be of much use if the substance is damaged,” he said.