RAYA MEMORIES: Adenan (seated fourth left) and his wife Jamilah (seated third left) in a photo call alongside Wong (seated fifth left),
Jerip (standing third left) and other guests.

10/08/2013 (Borneo Post) - The state still requires foreign workers specifically those from Indonesia to make up for its shortage of local workers to cater to the expanding oil palm plantation industry.

In saying this at his residence on the first day of Raya, Special Functions Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Adenan Satem however elaborated that while preference was geared towards foreign workers from Indonesia, they must come to the state legally.

Adenan also added that the geographic proximity of Indonesia made workers there a preference for the state.

“But if there is also a shortage of foreign workers from Indonesia, we would have no choice but to consider hiring those from Bangladesh to cater to the demand of the growing plantation industry,” he noted.

He also acknowledged that the lack of interest from most locals to work as labourers in this industry contributed to the shortage, adding however he was not sure how critical the shortage is as he did not have the data at hand.

Asked on illegal workers overstaying in the state, the Tanjung Datu assemblyman said that the number of such workers fluctuated and that with regular raids carried out by relevant agencies, those found to have overstayed had been deported.

Among those who paid Adenan and his wife Puan Sri Dato Jamilah Adenan a visit during the joyous occasion were Second Minister of Finance Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, Assistant Minister of Community Services Datuk Peter Nansian Ngusie, Assistant Minister of Public Health Dr Jerip Susil and former deputy chief minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan.