Private sector urged to absorb more locals
By Azlan Othman

The private sector has been urged to stimulate economic growth in the country by providing more job opportunities for locals as openings in the public sector have reached a saturation point.

Citing the fact that job opportunities in the public sector are now limited, Awg Hj Kamis B. Hj Tamin, Director-General of the Department of Economic Planning and Development (JPKE), said job opportunities in the private sector are in fact abundant for locals to tap in.

"Of the 100,590 jobs in the private sector, 72,800 jobs or 72 per cent are occupied by foreign workers and only less than 28 per cent by locals. We have realised that some of the jobs offered are not up to the taste of the locals and it's understandable. However, further scrutiny revealed that there are various attractive jobs for locals that are still occupied by foreign workers.

"With the exception of labour work in the construction industry and domestic helpers, there are still many job opportunities available for locals based on their qualifications. It's up to their interest and willingness to take up such jobs," he said.

The chief guest said this in his speech at the briefing session of the advance training scheme of Industrial Skills and Info Communication Technology yesterday at the International Convention Centre in Berakas.

This year's scheme equips the locals to fill up posts at industrial sites, shipping and corporation companies. Training will be provided to selected applicants by their employers and would be offered jobs for not less than two years. Employment contract will also be signed.

The government needs young job seekers to uphold positive values and attitudes for self-development that could contribute to the development of the economy.

Hj Kamis also revealed the increasing number of locals enrolled in the private sector in the past. In 2002, there were 140,600 jobs available in the country. Based on statistics, economic activities in the country offer 3,000 to 4,000 jobs annually at an average of 3 per cent.

Labour statistics on the last couple of years indicates an increasing number of citizens and permanent residents working in the private sector. In 2000, the number of locals employed in the private sector stood at 23,535 or around 26 per cent of the total workforce of 90,258. It increased to 28 per cent in 2002 with 27,784 locals out of 100,591 workers in the private sector.

This rise in trend, though low, has created greater awareness among local job-seekers and employers who have acknowledged that the local workforce is on par or sometimes even better compared to foreign workers that they hired before.

Since 2000, the government through industrial training scheme under the short-term economic recovery package has carried out various phases of training beginning with hospitality field. At that time, close to 1,000 job-seekers were trained and a majority were offered temporary jobs during the Apec summit, Hj Kamis added.

But the hospitality sector could not absorb those who had received training as the industry experienced a constriction due to a weak economic situation during that time and subsequently terrorism, war and epidemic affected the industry.

However some locals have continued to enroll themselves in the sector while others have opted to work in other sectors with the training giving them an additional advantage, he said.

"Judging by the encouraging development in other sectors especially in business coupled with an increasing demand in retail industry, more locals now work in supermarkets and departmental stores.

"To further attract more locals, we took an initiative that locals who work in such retail industry be covered with employment contract, which among others outlined the rights of the employees and identified proper channels when conflicts arose between the employer and employee", he added.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin