RECRUITMENT OF MORE LOCALS IN OIL PALM PLANTATIONS
KUCHING: The Sarawak Oil Palm Plantations Owners Association (Soppoa) welcomes the move by the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) to recruit and incentivise more locals, especially youth to work in plantations.
In a statement on Tuesday (September 1), Soppoa said the shortage of workers in plantations was acute, with substantial amounts of crops unharvest.
“Field conditions are getting bad and replanting of older palms is delayed,” it said, pointing out that plantations in Sarawak were already suffering from a shortage of workers even before the Covid-19 pandemic.
“This has become a major crisis since the commencement of the movement control order (MCO) when no new Indonesian workers are allowed into the country, while those whose employment contracts expired had left the country,” it said.
It pointed out that plantations had consistently employed many locals, especially youth, as mill technicians, operators, field supervisors, mechanics, clerical staff, research and development (R&D) and laboratory staff, drivers, security personnel and more.
However, the association said so far, hardly any youth would venture into the 3-D (dirty, dangerous, and difficult) harvesting and upkeep jobs, which made up the bulk of the labour requirement in the plantation upstream operation.
“For succession planning, the plantation industry has provided training academies for school leavers and on-the-job training for others with perks,” said Soppoa.
It pointed out that Sarawak had a smaller scattered local population and larger land area than Peninsular Malaysia, adding that the local workforce here, although relatively small, was also shared by other sectors such as construction, manufacturing and oil and gas.
“Other available youth numbering in tens of thousands have ventured to more developed countries to seek better prospects and livelihoods in the bright city lights.
“No intake of foreign workers at this critical stage will eventually cause the downfall of the second most important economy for Malaysia in terms of revenue and job opportunities to tens of thousands of farmers and value chain users who depend on this industry as their livelihood,” it said.
Soppoa stressed that the survival of the plantation industry was at stake and authorities must provide immediate assistance to relieve the suffering of planters. They said the authorities must immediately find ways to get Indonesian workers in as the recovery movement control order (RMCO) had been extended to December 31.
“Soppoa is ready to take up a supporting role with the state government in getting these workers in safely amidst the Covid-19 pandemic through properly planned movement of foreign workers legally, safely, and in full compliance with Covid-19 prevention standard operating procedures (SOPs) as required by the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC),” it said.
Earlier, MPOB chairman Datuk Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub said that MPOB was working on a proposal to incentivise Malaysians, particularly youth, to enter the plantation industry.
