KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 2 — Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin today said that automation and mechanisation of the plantation industry are already underway in order to be more sustainable and less reliant on foreign labour.
Zuraida was replying to a query from Datuk Seri Mohd. Salim Sharif (BN-Jempol) on the short and long-term plans to overcome the foreign labour shortage and dependency in the plantation sector.
"Among some of the initiatives done by MPIC to ensure the plantation sector is sustainable are automation or mechanisation, which has already been implemented now.
"In terms of spraying seeds, pesticides and fertilizer, we are now using drones and tractors. This has lessened the need for foreign labour," she said in Parliament.
The Ampang MP added that since the government has reopened national borders and allowed foreign labour to return to Malaysia, there has been an increase in the numbers. However, she explained that it is still slow.
She attributed this to a new system that was implemented by the ministry called the Foreign Workers Centralised Management System, with the kinks still being worked out.
"Since we are in the post-Covid-19 phase, the government has opened our borders and has opened the door for foreign labour to reenter the country. Thus, foreign labour has started coming back in.
"However, the rate of entry of foreign labour is still slow at this time, and not very smooth. But we hope in August, entry of foreign labour will be faster. The hiccup in bringing in foreign labour is because of a new system that was just implemented," she said.
She said once the ministry fully implements the system, the management of foreign labour will be more controlled and concise. She added that this system would also feature a tracking function to trace foreign workers should they switch jobs or leave their employers.
She also said that the ministry has started looking into planting shorter palm oil trees to ease the process of harvesting the plant for production.
"We have also done some research on planting shorter palm oil trees, also known as dwarf palm oil. And as they are short, it won't be so hard to harvest," she said.
She said that a committee has also been set up to coordinate all mechanisation applications to improve the plantation sector, adding that as much as RM60 million has been allocated for that purpose.
