By Shuhada Elis

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - Good news for retrenched workers. There are 20,000 jobs available in the public sector.

And the best part is the Human Resources Ministry may make it easier for applicants by adopting open interviews.

Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam said he had proposed their use to the government.

He brought this up at a meeting with Public Service Department director-general Tan Sri Ismail Adam, Public Services Commission chairman Tan Sri Jamaluddin Ahmad Damanhuri and Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan last Friday.

"I suggested open interviews so that anyone is free to attend the interviews and recruitment is done simultaneously.
"Previously, the recruitment process was done gradually but we need to fill jobs rapidly now," he said after attending Kolej Tafe Seremban's 15th convocation ceremony in Seri Kembangan, here yesterday.

Subramaniam said the move would benefit the 13,000 private sector workers retrenched since last October, including some 2,000 workers who opted for voluntary separation schemes.

"My officers will discuss this with the PSD and PSC."

On the claim by the Malay-sian Trades Union Congress that the number of retrenched workers in Penang may be higher than reported by the Labour Department, Subramaniam said it was untrue.

"By law, it is mandatory for employers to inform the department if they want to retrench workers.

"Local companies are fairly responsible. We meet the Malaysian Employers Federation once a month and they are trying to avoid retrenchments."