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Malaysia bans key foreign hotel workers
KUALA LUMPUR – AFP reports that Malaysia will ban hotels from hiring foreigners in frontline positions.
The move brings hotels them into line with airports which are also subject to the order aimed at reducing migrant labour
Victor Wee, secretary general for the tourism ministry, defended the directive on positions that involve direct contact with customers, saying hotels should not rely on cheap foreign labour.
“We want more Malaysians working as frontliners in hotels instead of foreigners. There are many Malaysians unemployed and employers should be prepared to pay more,” Wee said.
“We’d like to implement policies to the benefit of Malaysians,” he said.
The government last week said it would also ban foreigners from working as porters, baggage handlers and even toilet cleaners at all airports in an effort to cut down on migrant labour.
The decision was also seen as an attempt to upgrade airport security.
Tourism Minister Adnan Mansor told state media those hotels that did not comply risked being excluded from the grading system issued by the ministry.
“We need to be firm – not just talk but no action – while the number of migrant workers continues to rise,” Adnan was quoted as saying by the official Bernama news agency.
Wee said exceptions would be made for positions such as receptionists, where foreign language skills are required, and added that the ban would not damage hoteliers, who are being consulted over the timing of the ban’s introduction.
But Sarjit Singh, executive director of the Malaysian Association of Hotels, said he was surprised by the government’s move.
He said that while most foreign workers were employed in “back-of-house” areas such as the laundry, kitchen and maintenance, the ban would affect the industry, which is suffering from a general labour shortage.
“Hotels here have never tried to depend on foreign labour but Malaysian youths are very choosy and do not like to work in hotels, probably because of the odd hours,” he said.
Ian Jarrett
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