Sabah govt sets up special committee to overcome labour shortage, raw materials price hike

KOTA KINABALU - The Sabah government is establishing a special committee to overcome the labour shortage in the state's agriculture and development industry.

Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said the manpower issue was not only faced by the state but also the country especially due Indonesia's move to impose a temporary freeze on sending migrant workers here.

"At the sate level here we have established a special committee to look into the issue and if we don't find solutions to it, it will affect the economic growth especially in the agriculture and development sectors.

"We are committed and one committee has been established at the state level to overcome this issue," he said in the Sabah Assembly congregation on today.

He said this when answering extra questions from Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal (Warisan-Senallang) regarding steps taken by the state government to overcome the issue.

He said the state government also established a committee to overcome the raw materials problem that was causing price hikes recently.

"Raw materials currently is hard to procure and caused price hikes including the materials for building homes like as metal and such.

"A state level committee was also established and managed by the (Sabah) Community Development and People's Wellbeing Minister (Datuk Ir Shahelmey Yahya) as well as those from committee from the Agriculture and Food Industries Ministry and Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry," he said.

Hajiji said all issues faced by the people including price hikes and food supply was being monitored closely.

"All of the issues will be monitored seriously because it involves the livelihood of the community and our people.

"We cannot deny that the sudden price hikes, food supply shortage and now cooking oil supplies is due to the current (economic) situtaion we are in, only in our country but the whole world.1 "This is due to the chain of exports being halted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

"However, the government will not keep quiet, we will try harder because this is the lives of our people.

"I admit that the ringgit is currently - as what was stated by the Senallang Assemblyman is lower in value compared to the US Dollar, however, I am confident the Federal government will take the necessary steps to control this situation," he said.