Malaysia’s palm producers to recruit prisoners, ex-drug addicts to solve Covid-19-driven labour crunch | Malay Mail

A worker shows oil palm fruits at a plantation in Kuala Selangor January 2, 2020. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa

Planters in the world’s second largest producer have in recent months embarked on rare recruitment drives to hire locals to do everything from harvesting to fertilising, but response has been lukewarm. The collaboration with the Prisons Department to recruit parolees and prisoners under supervision first started in 2016 in one government-linked firm, but now more companies are interested in the programme, chief executive Nageeb Wahad told Reuters.

Travel and movement restrictions have left the Southeast Asian nation grappling with a shortage of 37,000 workers, nearly 10 per cent of the total workforce.

Business Business Latest News, Business Business Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

AstraZeneca pauses Covid-19 vaccine trial after unexplained illness | Malay MailWASHINGTON, Sept 9 — Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca said yesterday it had “voluntarily paused” a randomised clinical trial of its coronavirus vaccine in what it called a routine action after a volunteer developed an unexplained illness. The company, which is developing the drug alongside...
Source: malaymail - 🏆 1. / 86 Read more »