MTEM: China companies should develop partnerships with locals

PETALING JAYA (October 5): The Malay Economic Action Council (MTEM) has said China companies must develop smart partnerships with locals in Malaysia.

Free Malaysia Today reports that MTEM CEO Ahmad Yazid Othman said China needed to consider national interests.

He was responding to a report quoting Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) director Laurence Todd, which said that a lack of skills and capacity for large-scale projects were amongst the reasons why China firms may not opt for local labour.

The difference in practices and general working culture of China contractors, such as the working hours and efficiency, rendered local firms and workers unsuitable, he said, adding that local SMEs tend to be in a weaker financial position compared to China companies, especially with regards to construction projects.

The news portal reports that Yazid said he understood the preference for China contractors or sub-contractors, however, this should not be an excuse for them not to hire local companies or workers and only to hire China firms.

“There must be ways to convince and encourage them to have a partnership with the local workforce.

“Let’s learn from South Korea. During the early days, they were just starting to develop. They brought in foreign partners and from there developed their nation by learning from others.

“That is how we should also be learning from these China firms.”

Mokhtar Samad, president of the Malaysian Malay Contractors Association, was quoted as saying that an with advanced economy like China’s, comparisons with Malaysia were unfair.

Ha also claimed that China was bullying Malaysia in its local mega projects as it was doing these “all by itself”.

“The least they can do is let us become suppliers and use our local workforce to work with them,” he said.

“It is disappointing when the China companies have an unfair advantage over us when it comes to their projects in Malaysia.

“Instead, China should consider being partners with us. This will allow us to gain useful experience.”