KUALA LUMPUR (July 13): Malaysia's retail sector should reduce its dependence on foreign labour moving forward, according to Malaysia Retail Chain Association (MRCA) president Datuk Garry Chua.

"There should be a minimisation on the retail sector's dependence on foreign workers, particularly for the frontline positions," Chua told reporters after the official opening ceremony of MRCA's second Malaysia International Retail and Franchise (MIRF) Exhibition here today. 

Chua said the retail sector has made efforts to engage more locals in both the frontline and backline positions, but are facing issues of labour shortages, which leads them to rely on foreign, cheaper labour.

"The government should engage more with the retailers and small and medium enterprises [SMEs] to come up with a longer term solution to the minimising foreign labour reliance," Chua said, adding this is in line with Malaysia's aim of becoming a high income nation.

"[The issue] will not be resolved overnight, but it is a process we have to start now to alleviate the dependency on foreign workers," he added.

The MIRF 2017 exhibition featured a showcase of established retail brands such as Marrybrown and Oppo Electronics and was officiated by the Minister of Domestic Trade, Co-Operatives and Consumerism (KPDNKK) Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin.