MIRI: Plantations in Sarawak are still facing acute shortage of manpower by as much as 15 to 20 per cent of the some 100,000 needed by the sector.
As a result, the sector is experiencing a corresponding loss of productivity, says Assistant Minister for Land Development, Datuk Gramong Juna.
“Although the situation is not very serious it is nevertheless worrying because we have to continue to hire foreign workers mainly from Indonesia,” he told reporters here yesterday after presenting dividend payments to participants of a mini oil palm estate at Bukit Kisi near here.
Among those present were permanent secretary to the Ministry of Land Development and Sarawak Land Development Board general manager Datuk Jaul Samion, Deputy Resident Emang Oyo Imang, Miri District Officer Boniface Intang Apat and SLDB board member Andy Chia.
Gramong said that among factors that might contribute to the perennial problem of manpower shortage in the plantation sector was that the locals were not interested in the job despite the recent adoption of the RM800 minimum wage.
“It is undeniable that locals prefer to work elsewhere that offer higher pay. Some of them have even started their own mini estates which can bring lucrative income.”
Earlier in his speech, Gramong reiterated that the government had always taken care of the people’s welfare including participants of the mini estate at Bukit Kisi.
“When production is low, we get SPS (Sarawak Plantation Services) to manage the estate and get foreign workers to work in the state to complement the local manpower. This shows that the government is concerned about the people’s welfare,” he said.
Gramong meanwhile urged participants of the mini estate to work closely with SPS and continuously find ways to increase production in order to increase profit and also their dividends.