By Karen Bong
KUCHING, Jan 7: With approximately 1.62 million hectares of oil palm estates and at least 85 mills, Sarawak urgently requires hundreds of thousands of plantation workers to prevent severe losses in the sector.
Minister of Food Industry, Commodity, and Regional Development Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom highlighted the critical need to reduce the processing time for foreign worker recruitment to 45 days from 90 days and which could take up to two years currently.
“There are issues with the timely approval of visas and permits on both the Indonesian and Sarawak sides. While we are addressing challenges here, delays also occur in Indonesia. This necessitates streamlining processes on both ends for smoother arrangements,” he said.
Noting that delays arise from compliance-heavy procedures in both countries, Dr Rundi suggested adopting practices similar to those in Peninsular Malaysia, where agencies and departments process applications more efficiently.
“Once the system is in place, we can significantly reduce processing times despite Sarawak’s immigration autonomy and stringent requirements,” he added.
Dr Rundi made these remarks during an event at a local hotel today to welcome 65 Indonesian workers recruited through the Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Salcra) Workers Selection Programme following a working visit to Indonesia.
The workers will be deployed to Saratok and Sri Aman regions.
He shared that Salcra alone requires 1,019 plantation workers for 2025, excluding the broader manpower needs of Sarawak’s oil palm estates and mills.
“Sarawak has 85 mills and roughly 1.62 million hectares of estates. Imagine the manpower required. With an average of eight hectares managed per person, the State needs hundreds of thousands of workers to sustain its plantations,” he explained.
Highlighting the shortage of harvesters, Dr Rundi noted that a single worker can produce 1.5 tonnes of oil palm per day.
“The financial and opportunity losses without these workers are staggering. Harvesters are essential. Without them, even the best harvests would go to waste,” he stressed.
With Sarawak expecting 300 additional workers to arrive in February, Dr Rundi emphasised the urgency of securing adequate transport arrangements, including chartered flights if necessary.
“This issue underscores the importance of Sarawak’s upcoming State-owned airline, which we await with great anticipation,” he added.
Dr Rundi also underscored the need for close collaboration with Indonesia, noting the country’s abundant workforce, including professionals and technical workers essential to the oil palm industry.
Worker contracts will be renewed every two years, with a maximum employment period of 10 years.
Deputy Minister of Public Health and Housing Datuk Dr Penguang Manggil, Deputy Minister of International Trade and Investment Datik Malcom Mussen Lamoh, Salcra general manager Joseph Blandoi and recruitment agency from Indonesia PT Wira Karitas representative Edy Simson Pardamean Sinurat were among those present. — DayakDaily
