Many construction companies forced to close, says group
Published on: Saturday, July 16, 2022
By: FMT
The construction industry is facing a shortage of about 550,000 workers, according to the Master Builders Association Malaysia.
PETALING JAYA: The critical labour shortage, high agency fees, and a 30pc hike in the price of construction materials have forced several industry players to close shop, says Master Builders Association Malaysia (MBAM).MBAM president Wee Hiang Chyn said the problems faced by the industry were compounded by the worsening Russia-Ukraine conflict which has led to supply chain disruptions and inflation.
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Wee wants the government to intervene and help resolve issues faced by many of its 17,000 members, particularly the shortage of about 550,000 workers needed for the construction industry, China Press reported.
He urged the government to set up a special recruitment “lane” for the construction industry in order to speed up the foreign labour recruitment process.
According to Wee, despite the fact that Malaysia had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bangladesh for the recruitment of foreign workers, there were issues preventing the workers from coming here.
“We hope that the government can quickly intervene and simplify the recruitment process,” he was quoted as saying by the daily.
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Selangor and Federal Territory Kin Cho Hong chairman Chua Hang Long said many construction projects nationwide have come to a halt because of the labour shortage and skyrocketing material costs.
“Currently we are facing a situation where there is work but no one to do the work.
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“Even if we want to bid for construction projects, we are not sure if we can handle them,” he said.
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