SEREMBAN, Aug 11 (Sin Chew Daily) — The Federation Of Malaysian Foundry & Engineering Industries Association (FOMFEIA) urges the government to hold dialogues with operators before implementing the new policy on foreign worker recruitment in order not to jeopardize economic recovery owing to misjudgment. 

In a statement, the federation said many operators were worried by Deputy Human Resources Minister Awang Hashim's reply in Dewan Rakyat.

Awang had said only construction, agriculture and plantation sectors were allowed to hire foreign workers.

The federation said it did not object to the measure of reducing foreign workforce dependence in a bid to create more job opportunities for Malaysians. Nevertheless, the measure should be implemented in stages and the government should allow industry players to participate by having dialogues with them before implementing any new policy.

This will help the government understand the actual situation of various industries as well as the dilemma they face.

In a statement signed by president David Toh Guan Seng, secretary Huang Xin Fa, central committee members Henry Lim Kon Fook and Brian Lim Ming San, FOMFEIA said the foundry industry played a significant role in kickstarting the country's economic recovery, as it encompasses sectors in general industries, petrochemical industry, automobile maintenance, car assembly, heavy metal industry and others.

These industries are facing an acute shortage of workers on a long term basis, it said.

It said the foundry industry required skilled workers which is also classified as dangerous, dirty and difficult. The mobility of workers is high. Many young people are not keen to join the industry.

If the government continues to ignore these issues, economic recovery will invariably be affected, it said.

The federation hopes the government will take into consideration the niche of the industry to groom more experts in the sector and allow factories to hire foreign workers to help propel economic recovery.