The Malaysian Insight

LOCALS, who once shunned jobs at wholesale markets, are returning as they’re unable to find jobs in other sectors during a weak economy, said traders operating at markets in Kuala Lumpur.

They told The Malaysian Insight that locals now fill 80% to 90% of the jobs at the Kuala Lumpur wholesale market in Selayang, once dominated by more than 3,000 foreign workers.

The foreigners had to leave after Kuala Lumpur City Hall ordered wholesalers to stop hiring them to stem the chain of Covid-19 infections.

Traders said although they had offered locals RM80-RM120 a day, the take-up rate was poor and the turnover involving locals workers was high.

“When we first started replacing foreign workers with locals, not many of them worked beyond two to three weeks, said Kuala Lumpur Vegetable Wholesalers’ Association president Wong Keng Fatt.

Vendors were not convinced that it would work either as the workers were not used to working in wet markets which involved lifting heavy crates and cleaning, he said.

“But this has been improving since mid-July and we are doing much better now,” said Wong.

“Locals between the ages of 40 and 45 are more keen to work in the market but those under 40 leave when they find other jobs. The vendors then have to replace them.”

Wong said although foreign workers are more hardworking, vendors have no choice but to hire locals due to the hiring restrictions.

Wholesale markets tend to use up to 70% of foreign workers but there were continuous problems involving work permits and illegal workers, he said.

But since switching to locals, Wong said the labour issue has improved.

There are 448 stalls in the Kuala Lumpur wholesale market with 168 seafood, 216 vegetable and 64 fruit stalls.

“At present, there are still 30 legal foreign workers working until their work permits expire.

“It is understood that 50% of the unemployed foreign workers have left the area to find work elsewhere.

“The foreign workers I hired before have found jobs packaging vegetables in related industries.”

Kuala Lumpur Fruit Wholesalers’ Association president Chin Nyuk Moi said with the locals now working for him, it saves him the trouble of renewing foreign labour work permits.

“Locals are required to have a minimum salary of RM2,000, while foreign workers only need to have a salary of between RM1,200 and RM1,500.

“We also have to fork out RM2,000 for their yearly visa. It is still hundreds of ringgit cheaper than locals, but it can save us a lot of problems.”

She told The Malaysia Insight that in the past, vendors were keen to hire locals to work but locals shunned jobs in the wholesale market.

“After the ban on foreign labour, everyone hired locals to work, which is also a good thing. You can gradually adapt to other things.” – August 11, 2020.