KOTA KINABALU: The Kota Kinabalu Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KKCCCI) has called on the Federal Government to relax the restriction for hiring foreign workers other than Indonesian and Filipino workers, including workers from Bangladesh.
Its president, Datuk Michael Lui, said this is to cope with the severe shortage of workers in the agriculture and plantations sectors, as well as the construction, manufacturing and servicing industry. Owing to heavy reliance on Indonesian and Filipino workers, he said the recent outflow of workers back to Indonesia for the booming oil palm plantation sector, and the uncertainty and instability of labour supply from Southern Philippines, Bangladesh would be a source of labour supply for Sabah.
The subject matter emerged during a discussion with the High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Malaysia, A.K.M. Atiqur Rahman, who visited Kota Kinabalu on November 6 and called on Lui. Both had raised several subjects of mutual interests, especially on investments.
Atiqur reckoned that in spite of the weakening of the regional economy, Bangladesh has proven to have the resiliency and attraction for foreign investments.
Bangladesh has facilitated numerous investment opportunities for foreign capitals.
He also reiterated that Bangladesh still managed a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of six per cent in spite of the slowing down of global economy. Bangladesh has large internal market, and the linkage with the global market would sustain the competitive export market.
Atiqur, while on a farewell tour, still stressed on several aspects of mutual cooperation, especially the trades and investments of Bangladesh and Malaysia.
He placed importance on the Showcase Bangladesh to be held in the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on November 14–16 and recruitment of Bangladeshi workforce in different sectors.
The High Commissioner was accompanied by the First Secretary (Commercial), Dhananjoy Kumar Das.
Also present during the meeting were KKCCCI deputy president Lt Col (H) Dr Ling Hie Sing, vice president William Chia and Mej (K) Chang Chin Shin.