TAWAU, July 28 — Sabah is likely to face an acute labour shortage in the next two years if the outflow of Sabahans seeking jobs abroad continues unabated while more foreign workers are returning to their home countries.
State Labour Department (JTK) director Wan Zulkfli Wan Setapa said that there is currently a worrying trend every year as 200,000 residents are recorded leaving Sabah in search of job opportunities.
He said Sabah also relies on foreign workers in industries like plantation, construction, restaurant and agricultural sectors, and according to Immigration Department data, there are more than 135,000 non-resident workers in Sabah, of which more than 50 per cent are Indonesians.
“If the relocation of the Indonesian capital to Kalimantan in 2024 attracts Indonesians who are working in Sabah... (even) if 50 per cent of these (Indonesian) workers leave, the state economy could collapse, this is my concern and industry players also need to come to grips with reality.
“Related parties need to look at the matter in order to find an alternative or exit policy to overcome and resolve the (labour) issue,” he said when speaking at the 2022 Sabah Labour Convention here today.
Wan Zulkfli said that the federal government, the state and the industry need round-table talks to find a solution to the issue.
Meanwhile, when met by reporters, he said that all parties need to brace for the eventuality because the two-year horizon is not that distant as Sabah is already facing the throes of a labour crisis.
According to him, there are currently 1.8 million foreign workers in Sabah as recorded by the Malaysian Statistics Department. — Bernama