F&B, SCRAP METAL INDUSTRY BADLY HIT, SAYS MAICCI

By Santhia Thevi Panjanadan

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 17 (Bernama) -- Food and Beverage (F&B) and scrap metal
industries run by Malaysian Indian entrepreneurs are badly hit due to the
illegal foreign workers' issue in the country.

Indian and Indian Muslim restaurants are in urgent need of 40,000 workers
while the scrap metal industry needs 15,000 employees.

"With the hiring of illegal immigrants and the freeze on foreign workers'
recruitment, these industries are severely hit to the extent that if the
situation continues unaddressed, it will be a total loss to the owners," said
President of Malaysian Associated Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry
(MAICCI) K.K. Eswaran Wednesday.

The industries' entrepreneurs are the major contributors to the Indian
economic equity, hence jeopardising the nation's economy as well, he told
Bernama in an interview after a meeting with the Malaysian Indian Business
Traders' Associations here.

"There is also a pressing need for manpower in the hair styling business,
Indian traditional tailors, curry powder and Indian provision business,
newspaper vendors and contractors.

As locals are not willing to work in these fields, business operators have
to rely on foreigners for manpower," he said.

Eswaran said MAICCI would ensure zero illegal foreign workers within a year
in the industries represented by the 11 trade associations that have come
forward to work together with the chambers.

Among the associations are the Malaysian Indian Restaurant Owners'
Association, Muslim Restaurant Owners' Association, Malaysian Indian Metal and
Old Goods Traders' Association, Indian Builders' Association and Malaysian
Indian Provision Shop Owners' Association.

He urged owners to register the illegals working in their companies with the
respective trade associations.

"MAICCI will help them solve the issues. We will take it up with the
government to find a solution as we believe it is better to find ways to send
them back immediately than holding them in detention centres as they use up tax
payers' money," he added.
-- BERNAMA