More than 1,400 workers in a few industrial areas throughout Kedah will become the next layoff casualty after 5 companies decided to make some of the workers redundant and reduce their production capacity.

All the five indicated that the layoffs will be temporary, and involve factory shut downs and cutting off the working hours of the workers.

Although the layoffs will be temporary, there is no assurance given if the affected workers will return back to full time employment, or eventually be given notice of work termination. As it stands now, at least 100 people look like to be handed with retrenchment slap in the next coming few months.

The Human Resource Ministry has not named the five companies, but it is believed that the retrenchment will involve companies in the electronics, manufacturing and production having their operation across several industrial zones spanning from Sungai Petani to Gurun areas.

To address the problem, the HR Ministry, through the Labour Department, will also be setting up operation centers in Labour offices and branches nationwide to assist workers retrenched by their companies to find alternative job opportunities. The Cabinet has also recently approved an RM100 million fund for retrenchment workers an RM70 million to train the jobless graduates in Malaysia.