Malaysia bans recruitment of foreigners by airports

Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia has frozen the recruitment of Indian workers, including temple priests, sculptors and musicians, an official said today, in a move apparently linked to an unrest by Malaysia’s ethnic Indians.
The government has also barred all major airports in Malaysia from employing foreign workers, claiming they didn’t want tourists to be taken aback on being greeted by a sea of non-Malaysian faces on arrival.
Cabinet committee on tourism has ruled that the main Kuala Lumpur international airport and other key hubs in the country must only hire Malaysian workers, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak was quoted as saying by the national news agency Bernama.
“We will issue rulings to (airport operator) Malaysia Airports to ensure that the workers are Malaysian citizens,” he said in the report, adding that airports need to comply with the ruling as soon as possible. An aide to Najib confirmed his comments. About 140,000 Indians from India work in Malaysia, constituting the third largest foreign work force.
09/01/08 Associated Press/Indian Express

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Categories: Airports Jan 2008, Foreign Jan 2008