Construction and Foreign Worker
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1 Introduction
Manpower is one of the most pressing challenges facing by the Malaysia Construction Industry as the “Wet Trade” construction approach at present relies heavily on the availability of the large number of foreign labour. Economic Report 2001/2002 stated the employment of 769,300 workforces in the construction sector, foreign workers are estimated to constitute 70% (or 538,500) of the construction workforce.
The Malaysian Construction Industry has revamped its employment of foreign workers beginning the third quarter of 2002. As of today, approximately 300,000 legal foreign workers are employed in the construction industry (Wong, 2002).
2 Background of Study
The term ‘foreign workers’ empower a group of foreign nationals who legal right to work in a country where they have been officially recruited (Zehadul et al., 1999). Miller (1991) used the term ‘foreign workers’ as these person come from a welter of nationality groups, living and working with diverse legal status in a particular country. K. Rajkumar (2001) defined the ‘foreign employee’ as general an employee who is a non-citizen. Our definition of foreign workers in Malaysia indicates that they do not have any right to settle in this country.
The presence of foreign workers in Malaysia is not a new phenomenon. During the colonial period, foreign workers were recruited from China, Indonesia, and India to work in the mines and rubber estates. Malaysia imported foreign workers in the 19th century to develop its plantations and mines. Since both plantation and mines offered year-round jobs, permanent immigrants were encouraged to move to Malaysia.
The perceptible economic growth of the country since the seventies has created a regular and increasing demand for foreign workers in all sectors of the economy. Therefore, the employment of foreign workers in Malaysia has
INTRODUCTION
1 Introduction
Manpower is one of the most pressing challenges facing by the Malaysia Construction Industry as the “Wet Trade” construction approach at present relies heavily on the availability of the large number of foreign labour. Economic Report 2001/2002 stated the employment of 769,300 workforces in the construction sector, foreign workers are estimated to constitute 70% (or 538,500) of the construction workforce.
The Malaysian Construction Industry has revamped its employment of foreign workers beginning the third quarter of 2002. As of today, approximately 300,000 legal foreign workers are employed in the construction industry (Wong, 2002).
2 Background of Study
The term ‘foreign workers’ empower a group of foreign nationals who legal right to work in a country where they have been officially recruited (Zehadul et al., 1999). Miller (1991) used the term ‘foreign workers’ as these person come from a welter of nationality groups, living and working with diverse legal status in a particular country. K. Rajkumar (2001) defined the ‘foreign employee’ as general an employee who is a non-citizen. Our definition of foreign workers in Malaysia indicates that they do not have any right to settle in this country.
The presence of foreign workers in Malaysia is not a new phenomenon. During the colonial period, foreign workers were recruited from China, Indonesia, and India to work in the mines and rubber estates. Malaysia imported foreign workers in the 19th century to develop its plantations and mines. Since both plantation and mines offered year-round jobs, permanent immigrants were encouraged to move to Malaysia.
The perceptible economic growth of the country since the seventies has created a regular and increasing demand for foreign workers in all sectors of the economy. Therefore, the employment of foreign workers in Malaysia has