Suffering a severe shortage of manpower, many Malaysian industries have been appealing to the government to review the freeze on foreign labour recruitment, a Malaysian minister said.

Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong, minister in the Prime Minister's Department, said he had been gathering information from many groups, including furniture makers and those in the export-oriented industries, that they desperately needed workers.

“We understand their grievances. It's high time we conveyed their feelings to the authorities so they can review the decision,” said Wee after attending the annual general meeting of the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Fruit Farmers Association, The Star online of Malaysia reported yesterday.

In February, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced the government's decision to suspend the recruitment of all foreign workers to Malaysia.

The ban came a day after the Malaysian government had signed a memorandum of understanding to bring in 1.5 million Bangladeshi workers over three years.

Wee said many parties who had opposed bringing in new foreign workers two months ago are now regretting the decision after being affected by the freeze.

The situation would be worse in June when the five-year permits for skilled workers under the 6P amnesty programme would expire and the workers would be sent home, he added.

The minister said he would raise the issue with Ahmad Zahid, also the home minister.

According to him, the farmers were facing a 30 percent manpower shortage and the situation was expected to worsen.

Wee said fruits needed to be handled with care and the packaging also required workers before the produce could be sold. “This is the biggest worry among farmers.”

The low supply of local fruits due to drought and manpower shortage was a threat to the country's food security, he mentioned.

Fruit farmers, the minister said, had told him that the supply of papaya and other fruits would drop by 50 to 60 percent in two months. 

“This will drive up prices and everyone will suffer.”