Defer application for foreign workers, says SUPP Pujut Youth

suppadmin | April 26, 2021

Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Pujut Youth Chief Alex Chu urged Sarawak government to defer the application from foreign workers in order to enter the state.

Chu said reopening of door to foreign workers is not in an emergency at this stage, in view of our own people are in the critical point in fight against COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our daily Covid-19 numbers continue to rise high, implying that we are approaching the peril of a major outbreak. The progression of vaccination is far way behind if compared to the spreading speed of the virus, leaving us an uphill task in the way to achieve herd immunity in which at least 80% of Sarawakians have to get vaccinated,” said Chu, “while our own people are still thousand miles away from being well protected, bringing in more people from abroad who may not have been vaccinated would only further intensify the predicament.”

On the other hand, Chu pointed out that what the authority should look into is getting solution to deal with foreign workers, both legal and illegal, who have overstayed and stranded in Sarawak, especially those from Indonesia.

“Quite a number of Indonesian workers are still in our land, waiting for renewal of working permits or job arranging to the fields that require their labour services. An effective measure should be carried out in getting the accurate number of the workers and the service fields they are involved in, and make arrangement accordingly based on the data collected. Only by then new recruitment of foreigners being made to make up for the deficiency.”

“On top of that, every foreign workers must be ensured with vaccination before entering Sarawak. Enforcement should be applied for employers to provide accommodation that meets the sanitary condition and could be used for quarantine purposes if needed,” said Chu.

In early of last month, Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas announced that foreign workers would be allowed back into Sarawak commencing from March 1, following the request from industries that require foreign workers.

“The intention of SDMC was good, that was to restore the economy of Sarawak as soon as possible. Despite though, it’s unwise to bring in new workers, while the current problems of overdue foreign workers in the state remain unsolved,” stressed Chu.