Bosses keen to hire paroled prisoners to address manpower shortage
Malaysian Employers Federation President Datuk Syed Hussain Syed Husman says they need workers at the manufacturing, construction, and plantation industries sectors, including at restaurants.
Malaysian Employers Federation President Datuk Syed Hussain Syed Husman said such training to rehabilitate the paroled prisoners especially those involved in petty crimes could prevent them from being lured into criminal activities.
"It would also overcome labour shortages in the manufacturing, construction, plantation industries sectors, including in restaurants," he told Sinar Daily.
However, Syed Hussain pointed out that the International Labour Organization Convention 105 (ILO C105) prohibits “the use of any form of forced or compulsory labour as a means of political coercion or education, punishment for the expression of political or ideological views, workforce mobilisation, labour discipline and punishment for participation in strikes”.
He said the Malaysian government ratified Convention in October 1958 but later denounced the ratification of Convention 105 in Jan 1990. "The denouncement of Convention 105 by Malaysia was due to the fact that prisoners or detainees that were provided with skills training by private sector employers during their prison term were considered to be under forced labour by the ILO," he said.
Due to that, he said the prison authorities should closely monitor the paroled prisoners in employment so as to discourage and prevent them from going back to their old habits while ensuring they are not involved in forced labour.
He said employment opportunities will give paroled prisoners new skills, and confidence.
The opportunity to work and earn a decent living and receive wages will show them a new way of life and living. As a nation, we must not let these paroled prisoners just waste away but allow them to contribute to the nation and community building
In June, it was reported that Malaysian firms have turned down orders as the migrant labour shortage hits them, prompting MEF to call on the authorities to act swiftly to address the acute shortage of manpower across all sectors of the economy.
Syed Hussain had said companies were losing billions of ringgit because of the delays in processing applications of foreign workers, and businesses could not understand the reason for the delays and urged the government to resolve all the issues without delays.
