Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah State Government should encourage or enforce that each major oil palm company in Sabah adopt at least 10 secondary schools and contribute to the palm oil product awareness programmes, career awareness programmes, and receive education scholarships.

Nelson Mosinoh of Sabah and Labuan’s Persatuan PLKS-SLDN said this in his presentation, “Sharing of Experience on Workforce Challenges in Sabah,” at the Institute of Development Studies Sabah’s “Forum on Labour Shortages in Sabah: Foreign Workers Issue,” held recently.

“The overall scenario is that locals’ perceptions of the plantation industry and its career advancement benefits are affected by negative perceptions of 3D and the field being dominated by foreign workers, including perceptions spread by teachers who tell their students that if they fail to graduate and further their studies, they might end up working as labourers in the agricultural fields.