JOHOR BARU: Businesses here continue to be dragged down by the lack of manpower, especially during the festive season as foreign workers make their way home after being away for at least two years. Johor Indian Muslim Entrepreneur Association secretary Hussein Ibrahim said that he offered his workers, who are mostly from India, extra bonuses in order to persuade them to stay on during the festive season.
Hussein currently employs 25 foreign workers from India and they have all expressed hope to reunite with their families back home after Hari Raya Aidilfitri. “This problem would cause losses to businesses here now that we are finally seeing things improve after so long,” he said. “Currently, it is observed that the process of bringing in foreign workers could take somewhere between eight and nine months, and that is assuming the applications go smoothly. It could be longer if there are issues,” Kong said.