More Than 70,000 Expat Workers: Labour Dept
By Husin Ismail

Bandar Seri Begawan - More than 70,000 expatriate workers and at least 6,000 permanent residents were employed in Brunei Darussalam in 2005, according to Labour Department statistics.

The report indicated that out of 70,764 foreign workers, 23,287 were employed in the construction industry.

As far as Bruneians are concerned, the report said more than 24,000 Bruneians were working with different industrial sectors in the sultanate, with more than 3,000 connected with the finance sector such as banking and insurance and other trades.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Home Affairs, Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Adanan Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Mohd Yussof, yesterday paid a working visit to the Labour Department.

The aim of such visits is to interact with the officers and staff of the department and gather more information about the working of the department.The minister visited foreign workers, labour, prosecution labour, international relation, failing, research and development sections.

The minister was briefed about the working of the department at a closed-door meeting.

The meeting was attended by Labour Commissioner, Omar Abd Rahman; deputy commissioner, Ramlee Jamudin; commissioner assistance and senior officer from the Labour Department.

The minister asked about the details of public services offered by the department and urged them to help locals seeking employment.

He also met some of the people seeking employment and asked them how long they have been jobless.

One of the unemployed complained to the minister that he could not land a job despite his persistent efforts for the past 10 years.

The minister assured him that he would look into the matter and inquired from the Labour

Department officials what measures they usually take in such cases.

There are five major acts administered by the Labour Department which came into effect after Brunei Darussalam got its independence in 1984.

Accompanying the minister were the Deputy Minister, Pehin Orang Kaya Dewa Pahlawan Dato Paduka Haji Awang Dani bin Haji Ibrahim, permanent secretaries and the senior officers at the Ministry of Home Affairs. -- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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