Golden Palm says minimum wages will attract workers

Upah minimum akan tarik minat pekerja

GUA MUSANG Feb  – A leading player in the plantation industry says the industry should follow through with the minimum wage policy as it will be attractive to workers “It would really help as it only incurs cost in the near term ” Golden Palm Growers Bhd’s executive chairman Andrew Phang told Bernama during a tour of the company’s estate here recently Phang said it has become increasingly difficult to source workers especially the Indonesians “Indonesian companies themselves are opening up new plantation areas thus many Indonesians who used to work in Malaysia are now working in their home country ” For now the company has to source its labour from India Sri Lanka and Bangladesh “We ourselves have not only implemented the minimum wage the policy the government is trying to endorse but we have in fact exceeded the wage “The plantation industry is profitable and businesses could afford to sustain these higher costs in the longer term ” he added Meanwhile its Plantation Senior Manager Anand Nambiar said Golden Palm Growers’ oil palm estate aimed to produce 5 000 tonnes of fresh fruit bunches next year from 1 300 tonnes expected this year “Currently we are producing five tonnes per hectare ha a year and this should increase in the following years “Out of the total size of the palm plantation of 4 450 hectares we have allocated 136 trees per hectare since planting began between 2009 and 2010 ” he said – Bernama. http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/business/article/golden-palm-says-minimum-wages-will-attract-workers/

Upah minimum akan tarik minat pekerja

GUA MUSANG 10 Feb. - Penggiat utama dalam industri perladangan menyatakan yang industri seharusnya menurut sahaja dasar upah minimum yang diperkenalkan kerajaan kerana ia akan menjadi daya tarikan kepada pekerja.

"Ia akan membantu kerana ia hanya melibatkan kos dalam tempoh jangka dekat," kata Pengerusi Eksekutif Golden Palm Growers Bhd, Andrew Phang kepada Bernama semasa melakukan lawatan ke ladang syarikat itu di sini baru-baru ini.

Phang berkata, pada masa kini, adalah amat sukar untuk mendapatkan para pekerja, terutamanya dari Indonesia.

"Syarikat-syarikat Indonesia sendiri sedang membuka kawasan perladangan baharu dan sehubungan itu, ramai warga Indonesia yang pernah bekerja di Malaysia, kini bekerja di negara mereka sendiri.

"Pada masa ini, syarikat perlu mendapatkan pekerja dari India, Sri Lanka dan Bangladesh.

"Kita sendiri belum lagi melaksanakan upah minimum ini, dasar yang kerajaan cuba laksanakan, tetapi, pada hakikatnya, kami telah melepasi upah berkenaan.

"Industri perladangan amat menguntungkan dan perniagaan ini boleh mengekalkan kos-kos yang tinggi ini dalam jangka panjang," tambah beliau.

Sementara itu, pengurus kanan perladangannya, Anand Nambiar berkata, ladang kelapa sawit Golden Palm Growers berhasrat untuk menghasilkan 5,000 tonne tandan buah segar tahun hadapan daripada 1,300 tonne yang dijangkakan tahun ini.

"Pada masa ini, kami menghasilkan lima tonne setiap hektar setahun dan ia kan meningkat.

"Daripada jumlah saiz ladang kelapa sawit seluas 4,450 hektar, kami telah memperuntukkan 136 pokok untuk setiap hektar sejak penanaman dimulakan antara tahun 2009 dan 2010," kata beliau. - BERNAMA

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