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The delicate numbers game – Sin Chew Daily

February 18, 2016

In our hotly contested jargon today, "migrant workers" is without the slightest doubt a derogatory term.

People will become uneasy at the mention of migrant workers, and will instantly associate this massive group of people with crime, dirt and other negativities.

Such stereotyped impressions have been firmly etched in the heads of many and as such, as soon as the government has announced to bring in some 1.5 million Bangladeshi workers in stages, voices of objection are heard everywhere.

We indeed have way too many of these foreign workers here, who have made their way into every single nook and cranny of our day-to-day lives.

Unless you are a hermit in the deepest mountains, you are bound to meet some of them in your daily life. This has somewhat become our "fate".

Ordering a plate of wantan noodle in the neighbourhood coffee shop, you will be soon served by a young lass from Indonesia.

The cook himself doesn't look Malaysian in any way, either.

Back to the office, the auntie sweeping the floor is most positively from a neighbouring country, and back home after work, greeting us at the guard house is a well built Bangladeshi chap.

Whether you like it or not, foreign workers have become very much an integral part of our everyday lives.

Undeniably these people have constituted a dynamic force to propel the country's economic development.

Thanks to the availability of such an immense and inexpensive labour, our companies have been able to effectively bring down their operating costs to more competitive levels, while the country's infrastructure development could progress smoothly.

At a time our economy is taking off in a big way, these foreigners have been able to draw remunerations their home countries are unable to offer. This is what we call a win-win situation.

From the macroscopic point of view, the phenomenon of migrant workers has made remarkable contribution towards global economic development and the overall well-being of the human race.

Labourers from impoverished countries have found good money in more affluent ones.

The money they remit to their families has helped improve the livelihood of people back home, hence stimulating the local economy as well. Eventually, the entire human race will experience elevated quality of life.

Of course, this is the most ideal result but in our realistic world, such perfect eventuality will very often be marred by the complications.

Owing to poor management and lax supervision, the number of foreign workers in Malaysia has swollen to over six million today, including a few million illegal ones.

Such a number has far exceeded what a country with a population of only 30 million can comfortably cope.

The enormous army of migrant workers has impacted our social structure, creating a melange of social problems while hampering our effort for economic transformation.

The key lies with a delicate equilibrium in the numbers.

We do need these migrant workers, but only the right quantity that meets our needs in some specific sectors.

Side effects will come with an overabundance in their supply, often offsetting whatsoever good things they have done to this country.

We hope the government will seriously draw up a prudent and comprehensive long-term policy for foreign workers, turning them into a productive force to spearhead the national economy instead of reducing them to a hindrance that will bog down our social progress. – Mysinchew.com, February 18, 2016.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.