BUSINESS COMMUNITY TENSE OVER NEW EMPLOYMENT POLICY CHANGES

A friend came to me as I was about to step in the mosque for Friday prayer. It was just few minutes away before Friday mass prayer commences.

He graciously greeted me and handshakes followed. Looking upsets, he then put his arm around my shoulders, pulled me close to him and said, “So what do you think of the new employment order?”

“You know we should protest”, he groaned as my brain busily processed some answers to his first question. 

And as I was about to offer him my opinion, he mocked, “The minister and the officials…what do they know (of our difficulty)”.

“It’s easy for them lah to say this and that, but it is us who will suffer. For them okay lah! What do they have to worry? Anyway they will still get their fat checks every end of the month!!! For us things will get more difficult". 

"Before it was the energy department and its ‘big idea’ and now this”, he moaned and said, “the least they could do was to talk to us first, the business people, prior to making such ‘counterproductive’ decision". 

"You should write about this issue, quizzed them”, he suggested.

“Okay, okay,” I said while putting a smile on my face.

I sighed with relief as he frees his arm from my shoulders.

Good thing I didn’t have the chance to tell him where I stand in this issue.

Good thing we didn’t have much time to converse otherwise I would be bragging to him that I was at the dinner that evening and that I dared myself to walk up to the minister and to congratulate him personally for the firm move and good strategy in addressing our unemployment and influx of foreign workers issues.

Good thing I didn’t tell my friend that I jokingly told the minister how I fell like hugging him and kissing him right there and then for the good news. I can imagine what will happen to me! 

With my upset friend’s arm around my shoulder and very close to my neck, for all I know he could easily strangle me.

So I was spared from that unpleasant situation.   

However the question of what I thought about the new policy changes in the nation employment sector preoccupied my mind while my ears try hard to listen to the imam delivering his Friday sermon.     

So what do I think of it?

Well I have no objection if it means paving the way in efforts to truly create a fair playing field in the nation job market and a healthier environment for local entrepreneurs to thrive especially in the wholesale, retail, hospitality and restaurant businesses.

I fully support it if it means a better and more promising future for our children, if it could bring to an end to the abuse and discrimination by profit driven employers against our locals. 

I fully support it as it opens up an opportunity to employers to stop giving excuses and instead to start working together in developing the capability and capacity of the local workforce that they have been complaining about and using as an excuse not to employ locals all these years.
           

Unemployment is a persistent issue of concern in Brunei so is the growing numbers of foreign workers in the country. 


In one hand, we have the issue of our local having difficulty to find jobs but on the other hand, we are seeing foreigners thronging the country and ironically with no difficulty at all to find jobs.


As of last year the population of expats and foreign workers stood at 112,378. Their population has the potential to rapidly grow to almost 200,000 if several employers that collectively have 71,282 unused quotas at their disposal decide to make use all of them.

This is one of the loose ends that the ministry sees fit to tighten up quickly. Apparently this is one loophole in the current system that causes the influx of unneeded foreign workers in the country. 


So the final decision has been made, that is to revoke these 71,282 quotas with immediate effect.

At the same time the policy to freeze the issuance of foreign labour quota for posts such as cashiers, driver, supervisors, salesclerk, shop staff, butcher, baker as well as taking steps to freeze foreign labour quota for those in the wholesale and retail industry, hospitality, ict, support services and so on will continue.

The objective is to effectively make available job positions that can be filled by locals.   

According to the Local Employment and Human Resource Development Agency (APTK) of the Home Affairs Ministry, there were 4,414 unemployed Bruneians throughout all four districts with Brunei-Muara having the largest number of unemployed individuals at 2,944 during the year 2011.


At present there are some 6, 130 jobs available but only 36 percent of it were filled by locals while the remaining vacancies were taken up by foreigners.


As the Minister of Home Affairs once said, there were actually plenty of jobs for the 5,000 or so job seekers registered with the ministry.

He has his point for saying that.

Results from latest research on the availability of employment opportunities in the private sector in 2013 indicates that there were 27,827 workers taking up various job positions in the wholesale, retail, hospitality and automobile sectors. 17,000 or 61% of them were foreigners, 8,144 were local citizens while only 2,683 were permanent residents.

In summary, the policy changes have been made to tackle two distinct objectives namely overcoming unemployment by encouraging (or some say arm twisting) employers to hire local workforce and to control the influx of foreign labour by employing only as needed.

Of course another objective is to arrest the mushrooming of ‘Ali Baba’ businesses especially in the retail and in restaurant business in the country.

The changes include a levy on the employment of foreign labour for several sectors. The collections from this scheme will be channelled back to fund capacity building training programs for local workforce in the private sector.  

Other changes are, to limit the issue of new miscellaneous business license identified as branch out with the exception of businesses with the potential to attract local employees and to limit the number of new licenses for conventional restaurants (coffee shops, food outlets) and lastly to not issue licenses to businesses established in residential areas/ villages unless the business is personally run by the applicant or locals.

Undoubtedly, these policy changes have ruffled some business owners’ feathers. It is understandable especially when changes like this pose a threat to their interest.

But least we forgot, the nation today is facing far greater danger than those employment issues and the influx of foreign workers. Poverty, the worrying trend of social problems spreading like diseases from within our society and so and so forth are issues that are now haunting us.

The biggest threat to our survivality is actually our complacency and our indifference towards the future of our next generation and the interest of the nation at large. Whatever happening today to our economy, our business sector, employment sector are actually the consequences of our apathy as a community over the future of the nation and also due to the persevering culture of inertia in the government machinery.  

In a sense, we are actually the victims of our own doing. So to me I welcome any opportunity to remedy these shortcomings that, for all these years have been a hindrance to our progress.

NO BEAR HUG FOR CLUSTER HOUSES AT BEAR HILL

'Cluster' houses for Kg Bukit Beruang’ was the news headline in the Borneo Bulletin 7^th July 2010 edition.

Here is an excerpt of the news report:

“According to the Housing Development Department in Tutong District, the cluster houses will be in the shape of four two-storey houses attached together - unlike terraced-type houses, the houses attached back-to-back forming a square block per four houses.

A total of 81 blocks are planned for the Kg Bukit Beruang project. A total of 324 cluster houses (81 blocks) will be built in Kampong Bukit Beruang, while 434 units of terraced units (two blocks of four units and 71 blocks of six units) will be constructed. (Read here for full news report)

I don’t remember any complain from the public when this news item was highlighted in the daily paper. Perhaps no one took notice of it then, or maybe no reason to be critical about it as the project was still at its early stage.

If there was an artist impression of the cluster house being provided and displayed for the public to view at that time, it could be a different ballgame altogether.

This is the case now when few days go someone, apparently very disappointed with the design, circulated a picture of the completed cluster house at Kg Bukit Beruang through WhatsApp and FaceBook.

And the public rumblings at social networks begin… (I deliberately omit the name of the authors here so we can just focus on what they have to say about this issue and I also took the liberty to choose and pick some of comments to share as it will take forever to read all them here)

# “I saw this in one of the whatsapp group.....I was aware about this design some five to six years ago....I was a bit aghast when I saw this and pray they will not implement this design. Now they did....I am pretty sure this is not part of the 1500 houses being tendered through BEDB as the design were direct by the company who won the contract”.

# “Good for keeping bear bah”

# “Very bad design”

# When I first saw this design, my first thought is safety, health and its enviroment...(HSSE)....

# the issue here is not about the design of the housing complex.. it's about the quality of our  planners.. the mere fact that they approved this and went ahead to implement it was beyond me ..

# There are many housing complex that been built by private sector which is conducive and attractive.. lots of modern terrace houses .. if dont want to copy and paste those designs it's ok.. but when faced with new designs proper SWOT analysis should be done.. Will it work or not.. Will public accept it or not.. of course at the end of the day the buck should stop with the top guy.. whether he is the chairman or Minister..

# Yang 'bersedih' dan 'mengritik' rumah-rumah ani, belum melihat sendiri rumah-rumah ani dan sebenarnya bukan diorang yang akan tinggal disana. Given a choice between staying in a rented two-bedroom barrack to your own rumah tampik 4... I think people would know what to choose.

# Kmi yg bakal tinggal di sana tu nanti. Belum kmi tinggal sana pun sudah kmi tau/ memikir kn apa rasanya n mcmana tinggal dlm rumah tampik 4 atu. Sejujurnya cuba biskita bayangkan apa perasaan kita tinggal dlm rumah atu? Mcm org buat rumah mesti ada sudah plan n imagenasi dgn rumah idaman nya sebelum ia mbuat rumah atu. Mungkin org yg mendesign n meaprrove atu inda terpikir sebab durg sudah senang linang dpt rumah sendiri besar mewah ad kawasan n ada mampu bali tanah sana sini di reseb utk anak cucu kelak. Cakap tak serupa bikin. Sendiri mau rasa.

# Fyi org ramai indada di bagi pilihan sesuka hati rumah mana kn di mau. Kalau dapat pilih suka hati. Memang semua org pilih rumah sebuah2. Mun faham bisai.

# Bukan pulang pasal kan jadi pemilih... tapi architect nya ada memikirkan aspect safety kah in the design of the house? Fire exit cemana? How quickly fire in one house can spread to the next? Mana residents nya kan keluar if that one side ia blocked? Ani berabisly melepaskan batok d tangga... kes mencapai target membari rumah utk rakyat saja without even taking other targets into consideration. This is wrong!

# ....and while MOST of us thought terrace housing were not acceptable..Duh! This is ridiculous beyond words!

# This is the early sign of Brunei working class and the future slums that will generate social problems: Brunei is suppose to be the 5th richest country in the world: what a bloody joke:

# those selected would be occupants are paying for somthing that most would live in the rest of their lives. They are paying for them houses and they are some of the unfortunate ones who are not able to purchase a home anywhere else and it is not fair to shove this kind of thing up their throats just because some people would think desperados would suck up everything.

# they are people who are willing to pay $70k for the house to be shoved down their throats.. and yet the people who are selected, felt that they are unjustly victimised to be offered rumah tampik 4. Why not just reject the offer? We cannot please all people all the time .. and sadly our people are so used to being pampered that bulb lampu inda ada starter pun Kerajaan kan di suruh menukarkan ...

# Is it so wrong to want better options and dream of better quality life regardless one can afford it or not? Cant the humble formed an opinion & share their viewpoints despite knowing that it might go unheard by unlistening ears? Cmon! cut us some slacks. These are milder comments compared to some coffee-shop talks. Even HM took time to accept anonymous envelopes from people unknown to him personally... Alhamdullilah for that...

And it goes on and on with more critical comments ranging from the safety aspect of it to the question of being a MIB-compliance design, its compatibility with the principles of MIB, the culture and tradition of the Bruneians.

Suffice to say, generally many are not very happy with it even though I am sure, many of those making so much noise may not be going to live in that 'controversial' housing unit.

So why complain?

Because it could be our children, our grandchildren, and our relatives who will be living there for the rest of their lives. Because their well-being is our concern too. Because we are concern how such living environment would affect them as an individual and as a community.  

We have seen enough for the past years how we evolved from being a worry-free to a worrisome society as statistics continue to show upward trends in social problems, ranging from poverty, unemployment, domestic violent, drug abuse, and incest to other public crimes.

Few years back imams during Friday prayer saw it too worrying as not to highlight such worrying trends from their mimbar.

“Cases of domestic violence in the country have risen in recent years by 264 per cent, from 81 cases in 2000 to 214 in 2007, according to statistics from the Community Development Department. Out of the 214 cases reported, 147 were from abuse towards wives and 27 were from abuse towards children”, they lamented.

Meanwhile, the Community Development Department (JAPEM) last year recorded twenty eight cases on domestic violence compared to thirty seven in 2012 and twenty cases in 2011, while statistics issued by the Syariah Court stated that six cases of domestic violence seeking family protection were recorded last year, four in 2012 and ten in 2011.

Is this an indication of the fragility of the family institution in Brunei?

If so what can we do about it? What can the national housing development program do to help strengthens our family institution?Or maybe housing design is after all not an important factor in influencing human character and our social behavior.  

Food for thoughts:

“There is no doubt whatever about the influence of architecture and structure upon human character and action. We make our buildings and afterwards they make us. They regulate the course of our lives.” Winston Churchill, addressing the English Architectural Association, 1924

Ministry tightens screw on unwanted foreign workers 

Creates real opportunity; Caps on influx of guest workers; Snips off retail shop branches; Imposes levy on employment of foreign workers 

    

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 26 MAY 2014: (BT) A decision to immediately revoke all unused foreign labour quotas has been made by the ministry of home affairs in its efforts to cap the influx of foreign workforce into the country.

The announcement was made last night by the minister Yang Berhormat Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Hj Awang Badaruddin Pengarah Dato Paduka Hj Awang Othman who cited ministry findings that if used up, the 71,282 approved yet unused quotas will bring the population of foreign labour in the country to a staggering 183,541 people.

Several other policy changes have also been made in the ministry’s effort to tackle two distinct objectives namely overcoming unemployment by encouraging employers to hire local workforce and to control the influx of foreign labour by employing only as needed.

These changes which also include a levy on the employment of foreign labour for the several sectors will systematically take effect by the end of June this year.

These policy changes are:

• to continue freezing the issuance of foreign labour quota for posts such as cashiers, driver, supervisors, salesclerk, shop staff, butcher, baker as well as taking steps to freeze foreign labour quota for those in the wholesale and retail industry, hospitality, ict, support services and so on.

• Reduce the numbers for foreign labour quota upon renewal.

• Limit the issue of new miscellaneous business license identified as branch out with the exception of businesses with the potential to attract local employees

• Limit the number of new licenses for conventional restaurants ( coffee shops, food outlets)

• Not issuing licenses to businesses established in residential areas/ villages unless the business is personally run by the applicant or locals.

According to the minister, the any application to reclaim these quotas will be considered accordingly as per regulations under the policy changes.

The ministry will also provide the necessary assistance to employer or companies that are clearly facing huge difficulties in the in implementation of this policy, said the minister.

In its efforts to maintain a fair and equal balance in the welfare of both foreign and local workforce, the ministry together with the Labour Department and APTK has conducted studies that tackle the issues of balance in the salary and benefits packages for both foreign and local employees, the preference for foreign workers and why locals do not last long working for the private sector.

Studies show that in terms of salary according to posts and sectors, the packages for both local and foreign are almost at par with the exception of the benefits package such as allowances, housing, food, and so on which tend to favour foreign workforce more.

Introducing these policy changes will hopefully address the issues as well as provide for a more conducive working environment, noted the minister.

With these changes, “We and when I say we I mean the ministry and employers in the private sector can work together to come up with the best solution for these issues and improve efforts to train local employees according to the existing training schemes,” said the minister/.

There is always room for improvement for the existing scheme (SLP), said the minister, “such as submitting their (employers) localization programmes to the APTK and Labour Department for it to be implemented through providing on-the-job training for locals.”

Hopefully we will be able to maintain balance and harmony in the workforce, said the minister.

DASAR BARU KAWAL KEBANJIRAN PEKERJA ASING DAN PERTUMBUHAN BISNES 'ALI BABA' 

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN AHAD 25 MEI 2014 : MENTERI HAL EHWAL DALAM NEGERI hari ini mengumumkan perlaksanaan dasar baru pengambilan pekerja asing yang diharap akan dapat menyelamatkan negara dari masalah kebanjiran pekerja asing yang ketika ini berpotensi mencecah jumlah hampir 200,000 orang.

Juga diumukan ialah pengenalan dasar pengeluaran lesen rampaian baru yang disasarkan kearah  mencantas pertumbuhan bagai cendawan bisnes, termasuklah runcit 'Ali Baba' dan 'Kasim Baba', terutama dikawasan mukim dan kampong di negara ini.

Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin membuat pengumuman 'mengejut' tersebut dimajlis makan malam khusus untuk menhargai peranan majikan-majikan dan pekerja-pekerja tempatan di sektor swasta dalam pembangunan negara. Ia julung-julung kalinya diadakan untuk perusahaan-perusahaan yang dibawah kalawan agensi-agensi berkaitan dengan Kementerian Hal Ehwal Dalam Negeri.

Majlis makan malam berlangsung di Dewan Chancellor UBD. Ia dianjurkan oleh Jabatan Buruh.

Kita perlu melaksanakan dasar ini untuk mengawal kemasukkan pekerja-pekerja asing yang tidak diperlukan. Tidak dinafikan kita sangat memerlukan tenaga pekerja-pekerja asing dalam pembangunan negara yang pesat ini. Tetapi sekarang kita hanya benarkan jumlah yang diperlukan sahaja sesuai dengan keperluan dan kepentingan pembangunan dan perkembangan ekonomi negara, bukan yang diperlukan oleh pemilik-pemilik lesen perniagaan atau majikan-majikan yang mempunyai agenda dan kepentingan tersendiri, jelas Pehin Badaruddin sambil menambah kita perlu 'the right number and the right size' jumlah pekerja asing di negara ini.

Pehin Badaruddin meyakinkan hadirin bahawa pihaknya akan melaksanakannya dengan penuh berhemah, bijaksana dan tidak ikut sentimen. 

Yang pastinya, menurut Pehin Menteri Hal Ehwal Dalam Negeri, ianya akan dilaksanakan dengan hati-hati tanpa menjejaskan atau menyusahkan mana-mana pihak yang tulin dan serious dalam menjalankan perniagaan dan perusahaan mereka di negara ini. Pihak kementeran dan jabatan-jabataan berkenaan akan bersedia berunding dengan mana-mana pihak yang sangat-sangat memerlukan dan dalam situasi yang menyulitkan kerananya, jelas Pehin Menteri lagi. 

Beliau berharap perlaksanaan dasar tersebut akan dapat membawa perubahan yang positif kepada suasana dan iklim alam pekerjaan di negara ini kepada yang lebih kondusif kepada anak-anak tempatan yang ingin merebut peluang pekrejaan di sektor swasta. 

Kepada pencari-pencari kerja atau yang sudah mempunyai pekerjaan di sektor swasta, dasar ini diharap akan benar-benar dapat membukakan ruang dan peluang yang nyata, bukan umpama fantamorgana dan peluang yang sangat elusif untuk mereka terus bersandar harapan kepada pasaran pekerjaan sektor swasta di negara ini.

Kata Pehin Badaruddin, antara perkara penting yang perlu ditangani dengan lebih berkesan ialah isu pengganguran yang mana statistik terkini menunjukkan sejumlah lebih 10,000 ke 12,000 belum mempunyai sebarang pekerjaan. Satu jumlah yang agak besar bagi sebuah negara kecil, keluh Pehin Badaruddin. 

Bayangkan, menurut kaji selidik 2013, jumlah pekerja asing yang berada di negara ini sudah melebehi 92,000. Jika dicampur dengan pekerja domestik yang berjumlah lebih 20,000 ketika ini, setentunya jumlah pekerja asing yang berada di negara ini sudah melebehi 112,000 orang atau kurang lebih 30 peratus dari jumlah kasar penduduk Negara Brunei. 

Menurut rekod Jabatan Buruh sejumlah 71,200 lebih kouta pengambilan pekerja asing yang telah diluluskan tetapi tidak digunakan. Kalau digunakan bermakna jumlah pekerja asing akan mencecah lebih 200,000 orang.         

Ini (kuota yang tidak dipakai) merupakan pintu dan ruang untuk pekerja asing yang tidak diperlukan masuk dan duduk di negara ini. Ini perlu dikawal dan dicantas. Untuk itu kata Pehin Badaruddin, mulai hari ini semua kuota yang telah diluluskan oleh Jabatan Buruh tetapi tidak digunakan akan ditarik balik.

Dasar tidak memberikan kuota bagi pengambilan pekerja-pekerja asing untuk jawatan-jawatan seperti kerani, pengawas, dan lain-lain yang boleh dijawat oleh anak-anak tempatan pula akan diteruskan dan diteliti dari semasa kesemasa, tegas Pehin Badaruddin lagi. 

Menyentuh perlaksanaan dasar perlesenan perniagaan, Pehin Badarudding menjelaskan pihak perlesenana Lembaga Bandaran dan Jabatan Daerah akan tidak lagi mengeluarkan lesen-lesen rampaian baru bagi kedai-kedai runcit di kawasan-kawasan mukim atau kampong kecuali kepada pemohon-pemohon tempatan yang akan menjalankan dan menguruskan bisnes mereka sendiri tanpa menyewakan lesen tersebut kepada orang asing, termasuk mereka yang mengunakan syarikat sendirian berhad. Dari sudut pandang Pehin Menteri ini lagi satu 'modus operandi' memasukkan pekerja asing ke negara ini dari pintu belakang.  

Selain itu Pehin Badaruddin juga mengumukan bahawa mulai 30 Jun 2014 ini, pihak kementerian akan mula mengenakan cukai perniagaan kepada setiap pemegang-pemegang lesen rampaian. 

Dianggarkan pihak Kementerian akan berhasil memungut sejumlah $7 juta setahun melakui perlaksanaan dasar ini.

Hasil pungutan cukai ini akan disalurkan semula kepada usaha untuk meningkatkan kemahiran dan keupayaan pekerja-pekerja tempatan di sektor swasta melalui program-program latihan, kata Pehin Badaruddin. (Malai Hassan Othman)