KUALA LUMPUR – The government intends to open up more job opportunities for ex-convicts to replace migrant workers, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar said this was because ex-prisoners, especially those who served time for minor offences, were still productive for work.
“We can use them (ex-convicts) to replace foreign workers. Efforts have been made by the ministry, in collaboration with the Home Ministry, and they are implemented through the Social Security Organisation with various training provided.
“Many (former prisoners) have been given job opportunities. Prisoners are given training and when they come out, they can join the employment market,” he said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat.
He was responding to a supplementary question from R.S.N. Rayer (Jelutong-PH) who wanted to know whether the government plans to become the facilitator between employers and prisons in having ex-convicts replace migrant workers.
Meanwhile, in response to an original question from Datuk Awang Hashim (Pendang-PN) about the number of migrant workers in the country, Sivakumar said as of September 30, the total number projected was 2,730,153.
He said they included 1,830,828 active Temporary Employment Pass-holders, 152,158 migrant workers who had yet to enter the country and 747,167 registered undocumented migrants under the Workforce Recalibration Programme 2.0.
“The use of foreign workers is to meet the labour needs of certain sectors that are difficult to fill with local workers. Therefore, the government implements various initiatives, across ministries and agencies, to encourage the local workforce to venture into jobs in sectors dominated by foreign workers.
“The ministry encourages industries to switch to the use of automation, mechanisation and digitalisation that can create demand for high-skilled workers, thus gradually reducing the dependence on low-skilled foreign workers,” he added. – October 31, 2023