Kota Kinabalu: The State Government requires at least 80 per cent of the minimum local workforce employed by new manufacturing investors to be Sabahans.
Assistant Industrial Development, Entrepreneurship and Transport Minister Datuk Jonnybone J Kurum
(pic) said the requirement complements the Malaysian Investment Development Authority's guideline that at least 80 per cent of a company's operational workforce must be Malaysian citizens.
He said the policy supports the Sabah First aspiration by giving Sabahans greater employment opportunities while strengthening human capital, workforce skills and socio-economic development.
Replying to Datuk Abdul Ghani Mohd Yassin (Nabawan) during question time in the State Legislative Assembly on Thursday, Jonnybone said the ministry is also working with the Social Security Organisation (Socso) Sabah and investors on job-matching initiatives using the agency's database of job seekers.
He said the collaboration also includes upskilling, reskilling and certification programmes to meet investors' workforce requirements, while the ministry will continue exploring local content initiatives to maximise benefits for Sabahans.