Camerons tourism faces backlash over lack of foreign workers
Sunday June 20, 2010
CAMERON HIGHLANDS: Tourism in cool Cameron Highlands, famous for its tea plantations, vegetable and strawberry gardens, is "under threat."
And it has got nothing to do with intruders, just the lack of foreign workers. Hoteliers and tour operators said the lack of helping hands might lead to more tea plantations and vegetable farms closing down.
Hotelier Datuk Yee Shan Kon said there would be a chain reaction if the agriculture sector suffered.
"The butterfly farms, cactus gardens, souvenir shops, restaurants and sundry shops will also be affected. The entire wellness of the highlands will be affected," said Yee, who is managing director of four popular hotels here.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
Cameron Highlands Tea Industry Labour Shortage
This is another case of the short-sightedness of Government. They always think the locals will willingly take up employment in all areas of work. They make some industry not able to approve certain work permits and hope the locals will take up the vacancy. So tell me, what happens when no locals take up those vacancy? Time to close shop and relocate elsewhere where at least can find people to work, perhaps China? Vietnam? India? That will be the end of the local industry.
Cameron Highlands is facing labour shortage because not many local people want to work in this kind of industry. I also come across many factories during my sales visit around Malaysia, and the owners tell me a similar story of their woes. I don't know why, but some of these people always think the government will take care of them, work when they like it, don't come to work when they don't feel like it. Then when the factory cannot tahan get into the red and close down, they make big complain that the factory owner run away and now no job to do. This tidak apa work attitude won't get them far. So much for Malaysia Boleh. Boleh-land is fast becoming tidak boleh-land.
Labour shortage in tea industry
By Foong Thim Leng
Monday June 14, 2010
IPOH: The century-old tea industry in Cameron Highlands is facing the possibility of an untimely demise due to manpower shortage.
Two tea plantations there have already ceased operations due to lack of suitable workers and two more are operating at about 20% below full capacity, said Malaysian Tea Producers Association chairman Datuk Kesav Kumar Agarwal.
He said the plantations on 2,400ha of land needed 1,800 workers at any one time, 20% of whom had to be replaced annually.
"If the figures are not attained, tea production may cease in a decade or even sooner. The industry supports thousands of people directly through downstream activities like re-packing, logistics, trading, marketing and retailing.
"A significant number will be adversely affected by the untimely demise of the industry," he said.
Without local tea, he said Malaysians would then have to pay more for imported tea, adding that the country’s gross domestic product would also be affected.
"The Government can keep the industry alive by approving permits for Bangladeshis, who are willing to work in the agriculture sector and have a track record of success in this field," he said.
Kesav Kumar said the Government now only approved workers from countries like Kazakhstan, Uzbekis-tan, Pakistan and India but they were reluctant to work in agriculture-based industries.
The Home Ministry imposed a freeze on Bangladeshi workers in October 2007.
Kesav Kumar said it was impossible to employ locals as there was currently no unemployment in the Cameron Highlands.
He also appealed to the Government to allow foreign workers to be in the country for 10 years instead of five.
"The replacement worker has to be retrained and takes more than a year to become competent," he added.
Cameron Highlands has 2,500ha of vegetable farms, 480ha of flower gardens and 40ha of strawberry gardens, churning out RM580mil in annual sales.
"A significant attraction of what Cameron Highlands has for local and foreign tourists is the cool climate and the beautiful tea estates, flowers, strawberry and vegetable gardens. If they are gone, what will make visitors come?" said Kesav. -- The Star
Cameron Highlands is facing labour shortage because not many local people want to work in this kind of industry. I also come across many factories during my sales visit around Malaysia, and the owners tell me a similar story of their woes. I don't know why, but some of these people always think the government will take care of them, work when they like it, don't come to work when they don't feel like it. Then when the factory cannot tahan get into the red and close down, they make big complain that the factory owner run away and now no job to do. This tidak apa work attitude won't get them far. So much for Malaysia Boleh. Boleh-land is fast becoming tidak boleh-land.
Labour shortage in tea industry
By Foong Thim Leng
Monday June 14, 2010
IPOH: The century-old tea industry in Cameron Highlands is facing the possibility of an untimely demise due to manpower shortage.
Two tea plantations there have already ceased operations due to lack of suitable workers and two more are operating at about 20% below full capacity, said Malaysian Tea Producers Association chairman Datuk Kesav Kumar Agarwal.
He said the plantations on 2,400ha of land needed 1,800 workers at any one time, 20% of whom had to be replaced annually.
Time for tea: Tourists enjoying the scenic view at the Bharat tea plantation at Cameron Valley. Tea plantations may cease operations if the labour shortage continues.
"If the figures are not attained, tea production may cease in a decade or even sooner. The industry supports thousands of people directly through downstream activities like re-packing, logistics, trading, marketing and retailing.
"A significant number will be adversely affected by the untimely demise of the industry," he said.
Without local tea, he said Malaysians would then have to pay more for imported tea, adding that the country’s gross domestic product would also be affected.
"The Government can keep the industry alive by approving permits for Bangladeshis, who are willing to work in the agriculture sector and have a track record of success in this field," he said.
Kesav Kumar said the Government now only approved workers from countries like Kazakhstan, Uzbekis-tan, Pakistan and India but they were reluctant to work in agriculture-based industries.
The Home Ministry imposed a freeze on Bangladeshi workers in October 2007.
Kesav Kumar said it was impossible to employ locals as there was currently no unemployment in the Cameron Highlands.
He also appealed to the Government to allow foreign workers to be in the country for 10 years instead of five.
"The replacement worker has to be retrained and takes more than a year to become competent," he added.
Cameron Highlands has 2,500ha of vegetable farms, 480ha of flower gardens and 40ha of strawberry gardens, churning out RM580mil in annual sales.
"A significant attraction of what Cameron Highlands has for local and foreign tourists is the cool climate and the beautiful tea estates, flowers, strawberry and vegetable gardens. If they are gone, what will make visitors come?" said Kesav. -- The Star
Monday, June 07, 2010
Vegetable Prices Increasing
The local Malaysia news daily reported that the price of vegetables would increase by at least 30% due to low supply caused by the erratic weather and lack of workers.
Cameron Highlands Vegetable Growers Association secretary Chay Ee Mong was quoted by the daily as saying that the supply of beans, tomatoes and chillies would be affected.
He claimed that farmers were reluctant to plant vegetables as they were facing difficulties getting workers.
Some 80% of the vegetables planted in Cameron Highlands is for local consumption while the rest are exported to Singapore.
Prices soaring due to shortage of workers, claim farmers
By Foong Thim Leng
Monday June 7, 2010
CAMERON HIGHLANDS: Prices of vegetables have almost doubled since April partly due to a dearth of manpower, farmers here claimed.
Cameron Highlands Vegetable Farmers Association secretary Chay Ee Mong said the shortage of foreign workers had reached a critical stage, causing a steep hike in the cost of greens.
Vegetable prices from the highlands had increased between 50% and 100% since April, he added.
Good help: Chong (right) and his foreign workers harvesting brocolli in Brinchang.
Citing examples, Chay said English cabbage had gone up by 40 sen to RM1.60 per kilo, leafy mustard (sawi) price doubled to RM4, French beans (from RM2.50 to RM4), dwarf white mustard or siew pak choy (from RM1.50 to RM4), and tomato (from RM1 to RM1.50).
Vegetable farmers here are appealing to the Government to review a regulation on reducing the number of foreign workers from 2.5 million to 1.8 million.
They also want the Government to lift the ban on workers from Bangladesh.
Chay said the price hike was also a result of a reduction of imported vegetables due to natural disasters in countries like China.
Cameron Highlands produces 550 tonnes of vegetables daily, of which 80% is for the local market and the rest exported to Singapore.
Chay said many farmers were forced to operate with a skeleton crew and also work additional hours to meet demand because they had difficulties in hiring foreign workers.
"We hope the Government will approve the entry of 5,000 foreign workers, especially Bangladeshis, for farms here," he said yesterday.
The freeze on hiring Bangladeshi workers was re-introduced by the Home Ministry in October 2007 in view of the "scandals" surrounding their intake.
Chay said farmers preferred Bangladeshi workers because they were reliable, hard working and were prepared to work for more than five years.
He said only 10% of workers in Cameron Highlands were locals, comprising mainly orang asli.
A Brinchang farmer, Chong Sek Chuang, 47, said it took farmers about a year or two to train a new foreign worker.
By not extending their permits, he said Malaysia would become a training ground for workers.
"They can easily seek higher pay as skilled workers elsewhere," he said.
"We will lose whatever competitive advantage we have." -- The Star
Cameron Highlands Vegetable Growers Association secretary Chay Ee Mong was quoted by the daily as saying that the supply of beans, tomatoes and chillies would be affected.
He claimed that farmers were reluctant to plant vegetables as they were facing difficulties getting workers.
Some 80% of the vegetables planted in Cameron Highlands is for local consumption while the rest are exported to Singapore.
Prices soaring due to shortage of workers, claim farmers
By Foong Thim Leng
Monday June 7, 2010
CAMERON HIGHLANDS: Prices of vegetables have almost doubled since April partly due to a dearth of manpower, farmers here claimed.
Cameron Highlands Vegetable Farmers Association secretary Chay Ee Mong said the shortage of foreign workers had reached a critical stage, causing a steep hike in the cost of greens.
Vegetable prices from the highlands had increased between 50% and 100% since April, he added.
Good help: Chong (right) and his foreign workers harvesting brocolli in Brinchang.
Citing examples, Chay said English cabbage had gone up by 40 sen to RM1.60 per kilo, leafy mustard (sawi) price doubled to RM4, French beans (from RM2.50 to RM4), dwarf white mustard or siew pak choy (from RM1.50 to RM4), and tomato (from RM1 to RM1.50).
Vegetable farmers here are appealing to the Government to review a regulation on reducing the number of foreign workers from 2.5 million to 1.8 million.
They also want the Government to lift the ban on workers from Bangladesh.
Chay said the price hike was also a result of a reduction of imported vegetables due to natural disasters in countries like China.
Cameron Highlands produces 550 tonnes of vegetables daily, of which 80% is for the local market and the rest exported to Singapore.
Chay said many farmers were forced to operate with a skeleton crew and also work additional hours to meet demand because they had difficulties in hiring foreign workers.
"We hope the Government will approve the entry of 5,000 foreign workers, especially Bangladeshis, for farms here," he said yesterday.
The freeze on hiring Bangladeshi workers was re-introduced by the Home Ministry in October 2007 in view of the "scandals" surrounding their intake.
Chay said farmers preferred Bangladeshi workers because they were reliable, hard working and were prepared to work for more than five years.
He said only 10% of workers in Cameron Highlands were locals, comprising mainly orang asli.
A Brinchang farmer, Chong Sek Chuang, 47, said it took farmers about a year or two to train a new foreign worker.
By not extending their permits, he said Malaysia would become a training ground for workers.
"They can easily seek higher pay as skilled workers elsewhere," he said.
"We will lose whatever competitive advantage we have." -- The Star
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