The Minister of Human Resources of Malaysia stated that since Malaysia imposed the ban on March 18, approximately 72,000 people have been fired and registered with the Malaysian Social Insurance Organization (SOCSO) to find work. According to statistics from the Malaysian Social Insurance Agency, about 72,000 people were fired between March and early September and are currently looking for job opportunities.
He said that the data does not include employees of informal companies because these companies are not yet registered with the social insurance agency. As for the data on restaurant closures, he said the department does not have accurate data. As of September, the number of unemployed in Malaysia was between 1 million, including 350,000 recent graduates and 200,000 Malaysians returning from overseas. Five million of them are young people.
These include layoffs due to the impact of the epidemic and the impact of employers’ businesses. He called on all industries, especially service industries and first-line industries, such as cashiers, to hire local employees. After the government restricts the entry of foreign workers into our country, the service industry needs more local employees to provide employment opportunities.
He also said that the government will strengthen various economic activities, including the gig economy. He believes that the gig economy can help unemployed young people find other employment opportunities while generating income.