Malaysia is grappling with a significant labor shortage within its restaurant sector, particularly affecting popular mamak and banana leaf eateries. This comes at a time when the country has 192,000 refugees and asylum seekers registered with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), 60% of whom are Rohingya, a Muslim minority group. With Malaysia's foreign worker cap already at 2.47 million, or 15% of the total workforce, the freeze on foreign worker recruitment continues until at least the first quarter of this year. Amid these constraints, two major restaurant associations are facing a shortfall of 25,000 workers, putting additional strain on the restaurant industry.
The roots of this manpower crisis trace back to February 2022, when Malaysia lifted its COVID-19 freeze on recruiting foreign workers. Despite some Rohingyas already taking up casual roles in mamak restaurants, such as cleaning and vegetable cutting, the need for a more stable workforce remains critical. Efforts to address this shortage by hiring vagrants have often led to theft and abandonment issues, leaving restaurant owners in a bind.
As a potential solution, some stakeholders propose formally employing refugees in the restaurant sector. However, this approach faces hurdles due to concerns about local backlash and the slow progress of policies allowing refugees formal employment. Refugees in Malaysia have historically worked quietly in sectors like farming, agriculture, and hospitality. Yet, without legal work status, they remain vulnerable to exploitation and criminal activities.
Despite these challenges, the cultural and religious compatibility of Rohingya refugees makes them well-suited for roles in mamak restaurants. However, issues such as low wages and poor working conditions have deterred some refugees from continuing their employment in these establishments. Jo, a Rohingya refugee, exemplifies this situation:
"When we stay here, we have to respect the law, the people of Malaysia and everything else." – Jo
Jo reflects a common sentiment among refugees who are grateful for any opportunity but uncertain about future prospects:
"Whether we will be eventually permitted to work formally, I will leave it to God. What is available for me, I am thankful. If there are better opportunities to work, thank God. Even if not, we cannot do anything." – Jo
Restaurant owners and industry leaders express varying views on integrating refugees into the workforce. Tahir Salam emphasizes the need for clear government policies and societal readiness before proceeding with such initiatives:
"Therefore, we need to assess whether our government has such a policy, whether our country and society are ready, and if employers are prepared to hire these workers" – Tahir Salam
There is also concern about potential structural issues within Malaysia's labor market and immigration policies:
"It may also expose deeper structural issues within the country’s labour market and immigration policies" – Arulkumar Singaraveloo
Without a proper regulatory framework, the situation could escalate:
"Without a clear regulatory framework, the situation could escalate, similar to challenges faced by some Western nations" – Arulkumar Singaraveloo
Rafik Shah Mohd Ismail points out the necessity of finding alternatives if Malaysia aims to reduce its reliance on foreign workers:
"If you want to reduce foreign worker numbers in Malaysia, you need an alternative. If not, there will be problems for stakeholders like factories, industries and investors" – Rafik Shah Mohd Ismail
Cultural integration presents another challenge but is seen as surmountable:
"Regarding cultural integration, there may be initial challenges in assimilating refugees into the workforce. However, these challenges are likely to be temporary, as they are already in Malaysia and have, to some extent, adapted to the local culture" – Rafik Shah Mohd Ismail
However, not all are convinced that refugees are suitable for these roles. Jamarulkhan Kadir raises concerns about potential social issues:
"For restaurants, I don't think refugees can suit us. I think now there are a lot of issues against them, especially the Myanmar refugees. They (are accused of becoming) a colony and all that; they gang up. So, these things will affect the industry" – Jamarulkhan Kadir
Conversely, Tahir Salam sees refugees as viable candidates if proper documentation is ensured:
"For our shortage and the problem we are facing, whoever can come in to do the job is acceptable. Refugees from Myanmar, Bosnia or whatever country also, we are willing to accept, but with proper documentation from the government so the government won't give us any problems later on" – Tahir Salam
Chin Chee Seong underscores the importance of enforcement to ensure safety for both refugees and employers:
"That is where we have to ensure that there is enforcement to ensure that the (arrangement of) Rohingya working here will be safe for us" – Chin Chee Seong
Leave a Reply