Hyde
SENIOR MODERATOR
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KARACHI (August 29 2009): Pakistan is set to join Indonesia, Bangladesh and Myanmar as a primary source of foreign labour for Malaysia, with a three-fold increase in workers, taking their numbers to 100,000 by December next year. This was reported by Balan Mosses, the Deputy Chief News Editor of Malaysia's second highly circulated English language news papers the "New Strait Times' in a four column story published prominently on Thursday.
While quoting High Commissioner for Pakistan Lieutenant General Tahir Mahmud Qazi (Retd). Balan Moses, who is the top most writer and columnist of Malaysia, conduced an exclusive interview of the High Commissioner on August 24 and mainly focused on bilateral relations with Malaysia, the trade investment and business opportunities available in Pakistan especially after signing of Malaysia Pakistan Comprehensive Economic Co-operation Agreement (MPCEPA) in 2007, and opportunities for Pakistani workforce in Malaysia.
The High Commissioner told Balam that inflow of Pakistan's skilled and semi-skilled workers would contribute in Malaysia progress and prosperity, especially after the expected boom in construction activities in Malaysia as an aftermath of creation of various corridors of development in the country including Iskandar Development Region in Johor, Malaysia.
He said all necessary steps would be taken to increase the Pakistani workers to 100,000) from the existing 30,000 by December next year to assist in the development of Malaysia's various newly announced construction projects. Tahir Qazi said a memorandum of understanding (MoU) had already been signed between the two countries in 2005, wherein Pakistan had been declared as one of the source country for Malaysia for recruiting workers.
The High Commission was also liasing actively with the Construction Industry Development Board of Malaysia on the anticipated need for Pakistani workers in the short-and long-term. Giving the existing status of Pakistan labour force in Malaysia, he said there were about 30,000 Pakistani workers who were mostly employed in construction industry.
They had a proven track record of being hardworking and dependable. They had made a name for themselves in the Middle East as well, due to their ability to adapt to local conditions besides their high level of skills and expertise in the building industry. The High Commissioner said Pakistani workers were doing very well in Malaysia, too, as they had been able to work well with local employers.