Malaysia in full employment?

Salam and dear all, Various reports show that Malaysia is home for many foreign workers, documented and un-documented, working in various sectors of the Malaysian economy. It would appear therefore that Malaysia is in full employment... However, a report by the MTUC (http://www.mtuc.org.my, accessed 25th Oct 2009) noted that in 2006 only 46.1% Malaysian women and 86.1% Malaysian men working... thus there are some 2 million women and 890,000 men not in some kind of employment! Questions that one could ask... based on the figures published by the MTUC why are there too many foreign workers, mostly unskilled, working in Malaysia? Why can't those 2.89 million Malaysians be employed instead? In the context of the construction industry, reasons why Malaysians are not keen to work include (as suggested by the MTUC): the very nature of the contracting system for construction works, lack of prospect for permanent employment and the casual status of construction employment,lack of proper retirement plan/insurance because many employers seldom make contributions to the EPF or SOCSO. Other reasons include the image of construction being a 3D industry: dirty, dangerous, demanding; the lack of proper temporary accommodation on the site for the comfort and safety of workers and their dependents (just look at the way in which most construction 'kongsis' on most construction sites or near to construction sites were erected and maintained), the lack of emphasis on health and safety, the sometimes harsh working conditions and prolong exposure to the elements of the environment, etc. A comprehensive plan is required in order to woo some of the 2.89 million unemployed Malaysians to work, including working in the construction industry... Wassalam.