Cut foreign workers at KLIA

[Rozhan 0]

KUALA LUMPUR: The Government has been asked to reduce the number of foreign workers at the KL International Airport in Sepang, especially in high-risk areas.

 

Malaysia Airlines Employees Union (Maseu) executive secretary Mustafar Maarof said that about 600 foreign workers were working for Malaysia Airlines (MAS) at the airport.

 

“Maseu urges the Government and others concerned to draw up a tighter system of recruiting, supplying and determining the number of foreign workers to prevent untoward incidents,” he said yesterday.

 

He said the foreign workers were brought in by private companies appointed by MAS to work at the baggage section, delivery of baggage and at the tarmac.

 

“Some sections of the KLIA are gazetted as prohibited areas under the law.

 

“But it is surprising that thousands of foreign workers were given passes by Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) to work in high-risk areas which should be under tight security.

 

“It is understood that another 300 foreign workers are working at MASKargo,'' he added.

 

Mustafar said the foreign workers he was referring to did not include the hundreds brought in by other companies appointed by MAHB to work at the main terminal and satellite terminal buildings. – Bernama

 

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?f...&sec=nation

[S V Choong 4]

Makes sense, you don't really want to employ Abu Sayaf members in KLIA...... makes you wonder what they will include in the baggages when they handle it.

[Rozhan 0]

When there is just too many foreigners, it gets a bit unnerving. You can see them everywhere, not just airports, but shopping malls, hotels etc. etc., and sometimes they would stare at you. I get very angry when there were reports of foreigners catching cats and dogs, and eat them. Even people's pets were victims of these people, who regard them as 'cheap source of protein'!

 

[Izanee 0]

hahaha.....i wonder why MH's Advanced cargo centre is NOT secure. I would never send anything of value by post as it will never reach its recipient. mind you, its not just the foreigners that are causing the problem. the locals are plundering items from there too.

[KK Lee 5]

Malaysia bans foreign labor at airports

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia

 

All major airports in Malaysia will be barred from employing foreign workers, in what the government said Tuesday was a plan to ensure that tourists are not taken aback on being greeted by a sea of non-Malaysian faces on arrival.

 

A Cabinet committee on tourism has ruled that the main Kuala Lumpur International Airport and other key hubs in the country must only hire Malaysian workers, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak was quoted as saying by the national news agency Bernama.

 

"We will issue rulings to (airport operator) Malaysia Airports to ensure that the workers are Malaysian citizens," he said in the report, adding that airports need to comply with the ruling as soon as possible.

 

An aide to Najib confirmed his comments.

 

The ruling was in response to complaints by tourists that the high presence of foreign workers in the country's airports made them feel they have landed in a country other than Malaysia, said the aide. He spoke on condition of anonymity, citing ministry rules.

 

"Tourists feel they are in a foreign land when they arrive in Malaysia. The government wants a Malaysian face to greet tourists at the airport, not a foreign face," the aide said.

 

The Malaysia Airlines' Employee Union said last year that an estimated 1,000 foreigners, mostly from Bangladesh and some from Nepal and Pakistan, are working for the flag carrier at the KLIA. Most are employed as porters, baggage handlers and cleaners.

 

Hundreds more are hired by companies appointed to provide airport services because foreigners can be paid less.

 

KLIA officials have said that airline and other airport ground services are forced to recruit foreigners because domestic workers are unreliable, change jobs too often and demand higher salaries.

 

Malaysia relies heavily on foreigners for menial work and is one of Southeast Asia's top labor markets, with 2.2 million registered migrant workers out of its 11 million work force. Hundreds of thousands more work illegally in the country.

 

It is not clear how the government intends to fill the jobs at the airport given the paucity of local workers.

 

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8U1RV301.htm

 

 

May be MAHB could use those Bangladeshis detained at car park to do ‘voluntary work’ or ‘social service’ to get round this ban.

 

 

Edited January 9, 2008 by KK Lee

[Pieter C. 5]

So the Japanese, Korean and/or Chinese stationmanagers of the airlines concerned will be banned as well ?

 

P.S. Station-manager of KLM is a Malaysian citizen

[Izanee 0]

this gahmen keeps coming up with stupid rules and laws and THEN reverse their decisions.

 

 

i don't know who comes up with these stupid rules. there are more important things than that.

 

 

didn't some of the local workers steal from the cargo centre? and some cut wires and damaged A330 equipment to sabotage MAS....

Edited January 9, 2008 by Izanee

[Azrin A 2]

Could this move translated to more temp jobs for locals?

As a MWingers, I'd want to be at every airport anytimes, anyday

[Walter Sim 1]

Any part time jobs for ramp rats?

[Kee Hooi Yen 0]

The ruling was in response to complaints by tourists that the high presence of foreign workers in the country's airports made them feel they have landed in a country other than Malaysia, said the aide. He spoke on condition of anonymity, citing ministry rules.

 

"Tourists feel they are in a foreign land when they arrive in Malaysia. The government wants a Malaysian face to greet tourists at the airport, not a foreign face," the aide said.

 

 

The high presence of foreign workers not only happens in airports, but nationwide

[Loh Wilson 0]

Employ locals or lose MAS contract, says union

 

PETALING JAYA: MAS appointed operators and vendors who are not willing to use only Malaysian staff, should terminate their contracts with the airline.

 

Malaysia Airlines Employees Union (Maseu) said in a statement that youths in the country were eager to work and give a good image to the tourism sector.

 

“Of course, they must be given ample wages and other fringe benefits.

 

“It is also completely untrue, as we have heard from certain quarters, that locals are reluctant to work in high-risk and dirty places.

 

“As long as the pay is lucrative, as we see in oil rigs, the locals will have no problem getting their hands dirty,” said Maseu executive secretary Mustafar Maarof.

 

He also lauded Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s announcement that foreigners would no longer be allowed to serve customers at all airports.

 

Terminate contract with the airlines, O RLY ? This is from the star

[Imran K. 0]

Any part time jobs for ramp rats?

Well...in KUL...im quite certain the job would look quite enticing...

 

i can only imagine the horrors the DXB ramp rats are goin thru now... 3 celcius last night...

[KK Lee 5]

 

To satisfy our half past six politicians, MAHB most likely will replace Bangladeshi with Indonesians.