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PETALING JAYA: Language criteria are acceptable at the time of hiring, but this requires follow-up to ensure that employers do not use it as a cover for racial discrimination, said the Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF).
MEF Executive Director Shamsuddin Bardan said that in these cases, authorities should require companies to explain the reason for their language preferences to ensure there is a valid need for the requirement.
“We cannot put people in straitjackets and say that because they have a language requirement, the company is labeled racist.
“That language requirement has a particular purpose, such as why the company wants a specific command of the language so that they can deal with clients or potential clients,” he said during a round table organized by the social movement “Kita Bukan Kami.
However, he said this could be used as a way to exclude certain careers and suggested that there should be adequate oversight to make sure such a requirement is justified.
“Someone needs to monitor and ask why a particular language is required when job openings are advertised. If a company says it will only employ Malaysians, for example, then the company should be retained. “
He agreed with suggestions made by other panelists that companies could be more transparent in including language preferences in job postings, explaining their rationale more clearly.
The panel was part of the group’s “Projek Sama-Sama”, a series of discussions on diversity. “Kita Bukan Kami” is run by the Institute for Democratic and Economic Affairs and The Fourth, a digital news agency.
