Saturday June 11, 2005 - MIRI: Salaries earned by commercial plantationworkers in the country have increased substantially, with the lowest paidearning between RM800 and RM1,000 a month.

However, many companies were still finding it hard to secure generalworkers even though the wages were more than twice what these workersearned before, said state Minister of Plantation Enterprises andCommodities Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui.

"The latest information compiled by the ministry showed that workers inplantations and agriculture estates are earning very good income.

"Salaries for management staff are also very lucrative now, with asupervisor earning between RM5,000 and RM6,000 a month.

"Estate managers earn even more. For example, in Sarawak, they can earn atleast RM12,000 a month," he said when interviewed yesterday.

Chin, who is Miri MP, said it was a pity that local youths continued toshun jobs in the plantation sectors, thinking that these jobs were not aslucrative as jobs in towns and cities.

As a result, plantations had to continue hiring larges numbers of foreignlabourers.

"The ratio of foreign workers to locals in the general worker category nowis 80:20. For drivers, it is about even.

"These jobs today come with good accommodation, modern facilities and goodprospects in terms of income," he said, noting that life in rural areaswas also less stressful compared with urban life.

Chin said his ministry would be holding a "Commodity Week" to highlightthe prospects in plantations and estate industries at the KL MinesExhibition Centre from Aug 8 to Aug 12.

In Kota Kinabalu, Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said stepswould be taken by the state government to encourage local youths to takeup jobs in the plantation sector.

He said there were ample job opportunities in the state’s fast growingplantation sector.

“We have nearly 1.3 million hectares of oil palm plantations.

“But the number of locals employed in this sector is very low.

“It’s a real pity. We have large plantations, yet we are faced with theproblem of youths having no jobs,” he said after a briefing from theministry here.