Poor response to job offers in Malay Indian restaurants and nasi kandar

KUALA LUMPUR - The response to the campaign to recruit locals at nasi kandar and restaurants owned by Indian origin Malaysians, as waiters, cooks and cashiers has been minimal.

For 45,000 such vacancies in 2,000-nasi kandar and 1,100 Indian restaurants throughout Malaysia, there were only 80 job enquiries at the nasi kandar outlets and just 10 phone calls for those available at the Indian establishments.

Malaysian Indian Restaurant Owners’ Association assistant secretary J. Suresh said he was puzzled by the response shown by some of the jobseekers.

Of the 10 phone calls received, he said most did not make follow-up calls.

Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners’ Association (Presma) president Noorul Hassan Saul Hameed said the poor response was because there were many options available for local jobseekers in other sectors.

“We will work closely with the Labour Department and NGOs to help fill the vacancies,” The Star quoted Noorul Hassan, as saying.

On February 10, Presma announced that nasi kandar restaurant operators would offer attractive salary schemes to lure more locals to join the industry. Nasi kandar outlets had 25,000 job vacancies nationwide.

Noorul Hassan said on Friday that he preferred locals, as it was a hassle to hire foreign workers due to the procedures involved.

“I do not mind paying locals a little extra so long as they work hard and remain loyal to me,” he added.

He said Presma had advised its members to repatriate all illegal immigrants if they had hired them, adding that the association was supportive of the Government’s recent clampdown on illegals. (ANI)