INSIDE page TELLING IT AS IT IS Year-end celebrations 3 expected to be muffled page Cops: No Covid outbreak 4 among Genting staff ON WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 16, 2020 No. 7682 PP 2644/12/2012 (031195) www.thesundaily.my ON HIGH ALERT ... A soldier and a Felda auxiliary police canine tracker unit patrol a beach yesterday during an operation to check on illegal immigrants and encroachment in Tanjung Batu, Sarawak. – BERNAMAPIX Foreign labour blunder █ BY ALISHA NUR MOHD NOOR demand for migrant workers. [email protected] The Malaysian Trades Union Congress oExperts: Proposal to add conditions, raise (MTUC) and MEF also agreed that instead of ETALING JAYA: Two proposals – one to raising the levy, the government should focus impose new conditions on the levy would increase costs instead of solve on “trimming the fat” in the migrant workforce, recruitment of foreign workers and and that means deporting “unnecessary” another to raise the levy on them – have migrant worker issue workers rather than holding them at detention Pbeen quickly shot down by stakeholders and centres. experts. These “unnecessary” workers are Rather than helping to solve the labour infrastructure development. Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) presumably the undocumented ones who, problem in Malaysia, they will only increase However, according to the Malaysian president Tan Sri Yong Poh Kon to gradually according to MTUC president Datuk Abdul costs to businesses and even disrupt supply Employers Federation (MEF), the knock-on raise the levy on each foreign worker from Halim Mansor, currently numbered around chains, both of which are unaffordable, effect of higher levies, from runaway cost RM150 currently to as high as RM430. He said three million. especially in times of crisis. increases to businesses shifting operations this would discourage employers from looking However, a proposal for businesses to pay for Malaysia’s over-dependence on foreign offshore, would be too much to bear. offshore for workers. the deportation of illegal migrant workers has labour cannot be overstated. The 3D MEF executive director Datuk Shamsuddin However, professor at the Faculty of drawn strong objections from FMM. (dangerous, difficult, dirty) jobs are almost Bardan told theSun that raising levies could Economics and Administration in University Its president Tan Sri Soh Thian Lai entirely taken up by foreigners given that force some companies to move their operations Malaya, Evelyn S. Devadason, said in a recent pointed out that employers who Turn to Malaysians are reluctant to engage in such to countries where cheap labour is readily report, a similar move in 2005 had failed to are bringing in foreign workers — work, underling the significant role migrant available. achieve the desired effect because rapid through proper channels are page 3 worker play in Malaysia’s economic and He was responding to a proposal by former economic expansion continued to feed the already paying for a bank 2 theSUN ON WEDNESDAY | DECEMBER 16, 2020 NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS SEEKING BLESSINGS ... Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and members of the Cabinet recite a doa at the Parliament lobby yesterday. – BERNAMAPIX Programme to help Only half the battle won single mothers, youth THE Companies Commission of Malaysia will The RM322.54 billion Supply Bill, tabled any time. formulate a suitable method to enable youth and oPassing of Budget 2021 on Nov 6, is the biggest ever for Malaysia. However, he does not rule out the single mother entrepreneurs to benefit from a free Describing it as an unexpected turn of possibility that the Muhyiddin administration business registration scheme, the Dewan Rakyat not representative of events, political analyst Khoo Kay Peng said would last its full term “but this would be was told yesterday. the passing of the Budget does not prove that possible only through some form of political Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister invincibility, say political the government has majority support. bargaining”. Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the effort “It does not seem to have consolidated the Jeniri said the passing of the Budget has would spark business interest and encourage more analysts government’s majority and this means new secured Muhyiddin’s chances to continue as participation from the two groups. elections are still definitely on the plate if the prime minister. “(This can) generate additional income that can Covid-19 pandemic can be contained.” “The main objective was to bring him support their daily lives and in turn, boost the █ BY SHIVANI SUPRAMANI However, he said the Opposition has down but this has not panned out.” growth of the business sector in the country,” he AND NICOLAS ANIL remained fragmented, with no clear Klang MP Charles Santiago said said during question time. [email protected] leadership, adding that MPs who have shown Muhyiddin would continue to face pressure He was replying to Cha Kee Chin (PH-Rasah), their dissatisfaction with Muhyiddin have not only from the Opposition but also from who wanted to know if the commission has PETALING JAYA: Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) chosen to allow a status quo. within his own camp. provided any assistance for persons with first budget squeaked in by a narrow margin Another political analyst, Prof Dr Awang “He may have no choice but to give in to disabilities (PwD), women, youth and students at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, an indication Azman Awang Pawi, said the point remains some of their demands. That means he can be who have just started their businesses. that Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s hold on that PN has managed to maintain its position pushed into a corner and made to make For PwD, Nanta LInggi said they could take power remains precarious. as the government. unpopular decisions,” he said. advantage of the 1 PwD 1 Business Scheme Most analysts and political stakeholders “However, what is certain is that the Bukit Melawati state assemblyman (S1OKU1P), which has been made available by the are of the view that yesterday’s vote was hardly Budget received the requisite votes more on Juwairiya Zulkifli said while it is unfortunate commission since Oct 23, 2012, to register new an indication of support for Muhyiddin as the need to ensure that the welfare of the that the Opposition lost, it showed that the businesses and to renew business registrations for prime minister. people is protected, that workers are paid on prime minister does not have a majority. free. The lone contrarian voice, Prof Dr Jeniri time and the country continues to develop,” “It has even reached a point where they The minister said the commission also Amir, who is senior fellow at the Malaysian he said. allowed people under quarantine to breach encourage full-time students at public and private Council of Professors, noted that this gave He said this should be distinguished from the standard operating procedures to make higher education institutions to register their Muhyiddin the opportunity to consolidate his any support that Muhyiddin may have for his sure they have the numbers,” she said in businesses for free via the 1 Student 1 Business position in the driver’s seat. leadership. reference to the appearance of Health Scheme, which was introduced on Jan 1, 2017. Budget 2021 passed its third and final “That can only be ascertained through a Minister Datuk Seri Adham Baba, Human Nanta Linggi said the ministry, through the reading at the Dewan Rakyat with 111 in vote of confidence.” Resource Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan commission, has implemented eight inclusive favour. A total of 108 voted against it, and one Awang Azman said the slim majority was and Batu MP P. Prabakaran during the voting initiatives to reduce the burden and pressure faced MP, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah of Gua also an indication that the PN government is process for the Supply Bill despite being by traders and corporate sectors due to the Covid- Musang, was absent. still fragile and uncertain and could collapse under home surveillance order. 19 pandemic. – Bernama RM15b spent on Recovery efforts continue MPs in PPE had permits wage subsidies despite downgrade to enter Dewan THE Wage Subsidy Programme over the past THE three MPs who created an uproar by nine months involved an allocation of more MALAYSIA’S economic recovery efforts in stable and we recorded a high demand (Bid to appearing at the Dewan Rakyat despite being on than RM15 billion, said Deputy Finance 2021 remains on track despite a downgrade in Cover Ratio) which was 2.6 times more than home surveillance orders (HSO) had been granted Minister I Datuk Abd Rahim Bakri. its credit rating, according to Finance Minister the value of the offer for the 10-year MGII permission to do so. As of Oct 31, the government had Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz. bonds (Malaysian Government Investment Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan channelled RM12.5 billion under the “The Budget initiatives will continue (to Issues) issued last week. Harun said the trio had permits from Health programme, helping 2.7 million workers and push) the recovery momentum and are “(On Monday), I announced that eight Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham more than 330,000 employers, he said. expected to contribute to the gross domestic venture capital fund managers from the Abdullah allowing them to participate in the “Given that many workers are still affected product growth target of between 6.5% and United States, South Korea, China, Indonesia voting process from Monday to tomorrow. by the Covid-19 pandemic, especially in the 7.5% next year,” he told the Dewan Rakyat. and Singapore have agreed to invest in Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba, tourism sector, the government has extended Fitch Ratings has downgraded Malaysia’s Malaysian start-up companies with an Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M.