BUTTERWORTH: The hotel industry in Penang, which is receiving high demand from tourists, is currently facing a shortage of workers.
State Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman Yeoh Soon Hin said this was due to workers staying on in their jobs they switched to other fields, including the gig economy following the Covid-19 pandemic.
He advised industry players to recalibrate so that the hospitality and hotel industry could cope with the challenges associated with the present economic situation in the country.
“I also hope that more talent and a new workforce can be recruited through the ‘Jom Cari Kerja’ career expo that has been organised with the assistance of the state government and other relevant parties,” he said after officiating the expo at Hotel Ixora here today.
The expo, organised by the state government through the Penang Convention and Exhibition Bureau (PCEB) with the assistance of Association of Tourist Attractions of Penang (ATAP), the Penang chapter of the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH), the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents and the Malaysian Association of Themepark and Family Attractions (MATFA), is an extension of the programme held in George Town last Saturday, with 33 exhibitors taking part this time around.
“In the first series, there were around 300 to 400 visitors who came to gather information about the job opportunities offered at the expo and this time we hope that more will come to get involved in the industry as Penang is a tourist state with lots of hotels,” Yeoh said.
Meanwhile, ATAP president Ch'ng Huck Teng, who also was present at the expo today, said the association was asking that the salary subsidy provided throughout the one-year exemption of the minimum wage implementation for the tourism and hospitality sector be made in a fairer manner and comparable with other sectors.
He said currently the industry was still recovering from economic turmoil following the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Currently, the tourism and hospitality industry, which is exempted from implementing the minimum wage, is offering a basic salary of RM1,200 only and this is causing a shortage of workers as many are not interested in working in hotels and leave to work in factories and other industries,” he added.-Bernama
