KUCHING: Special open interviews will be held to hire locals, especially those living in the Baleh area, for the Baleh Dam project on June 12-13.
The interviews, held by the Labour Department in conjunction with the Social Security Organisation (Socso) will also invite employers who are currently working on the project to accept any qualified candidates who attend the interviews to fill existing job openings.
In a statement the department also invited Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s (PKR) Kapit Division representative, Khusyairy Pangkas to bring along any interested local job seekers to the interview sessions.
He had earlier raised concerns about an influx of foreign works for the project and the lack of employment opportunities for locals.
“Through this special two-day interview programme, the department hopes that locals, especially those who are qualified, will attend and fill the existing job vacancies,” said the department.
“This will not only help reduce reliance on non-resident workers but also speed up the completion of the Baleh Dam project.”
The department said records showed that only six local job seekers had earlier applied and attended interviews out of the 19 job openings offered.
“The response from locals during interviews was unsatisfactory,” it said.
In this context it said as a matter of policy the department would consider the needs of employers to hire foreign workers.
But before granting approval, the department said it would ensure that job opportunities have been offered to local job seekers through a series of interviews conducted by Socso since 2021, the most recent being on June 15, 2022.
“Every Approval in Principle (AP) prior to allowing an employer to hire foreign workers shall be submitted for consideration by the committee at the Sarawak Labour Department headquarters before being presented for final approval to a committee chaired by the State Secretary,” it said.
