Screen visas for foreign engineers - IEM

SHAH ALAM - The government needs to screen the issuance of visas to foreign engineers to ensure that their entry does take away job opportunities from local engineers.

The Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM) said this was because an influx of foreign experts could lead to higher unemployment among local engineers.

Its president Datuk Feroz Hanif Mohamed Ahmad said the presence of foreign experts in the engineering field could impact both the educational system and the welfare of local engineers.

This, he said included job competition, where foreign experts were often given priority over skilled local workers.

"The presence of foreign experts actually puts pressure on the salary structure, especially if they are willing to work for lower wages than local experts.

"Local workers may feel marginalised in terms of promotion opportunities and career advancement if employers are more inclined to give higher positions to foreign experts," he told Sinar.

He added that the hiring of foreign experts would lead to an outflow of the country's money, where the income earned by foreign workers would be sent back to their home countries.

To address this issue, he said IEM proposed that the government set stricter quotas for the hiring of foreign workers in the engineering field and ensure strict monitoring of the companies involved.

"Financial incentives and recognition programmes should also be provided to companies that prioritise the hiring of local engineers," Feroz said.