At the Dewan Negara Reports by Zulkifli Abd Rahman
THE Human Resources Ministry monitors the activities of private companies to ensure they do not practise racial or gender discrimination.
Its Deputy Minister Datuk Maznah Mazlan said companies which preferred to employ workers who are able to speak English and Mandarin could be due to linkages with foreign establishments.
“The jobs offered by these companies might also not be suitable for certain candidates.
“However, if there are complaints of discrimination, we will investigate the company concerned,” she told Senator Datuk Akbar Ali.
Maznah said the ministry conducted labour utilisation surveys every two years to monitor the racial composition of workers employed in the private sector.
In the last survey done in 2007, the ministry checked 330,000 employers and about three million workers.
The survey revealed that 47.7% of the workforce comprised Malays, Chinese (35.1%), Indians (7.5%) and other races (9.7%), she added.
“The survey found that 39.7% of those who held management and executive positions in the private sector were Malays, while 46.9% of the posts were held by the Chinese. Indians held 60.5% and other races 6.9%,” she added.
Maznah said the National Labour Policy clearly stated that the racial composition of workers in the private sector must be “fair and reasonable”.
“Firms should also consider equal racial composition for posts at the management and executive level,” she said.
Maznah said the Labour Department also held visits and dialogue to educate employers on their responsibilities to workers.
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