KOTA KINABALU: The Malaysian Foreign Workers Employers Association (PEMABA) has proposed setting up a One Stop Centre in Kuala Lumpur to improve services and welfare for tens of thousands of Sabahans who live or work in Peninsular Malaysia, or face various challenges there.
PEMABA president Yacob Gabriel Samson said the centre could also assist Sabah workers in difficulty. Many become homeless after losing their jobs and do not know where to seek help.
“We want to help them become independent, offer them suitable jobs and help them overcome various social problems. We need data and personal information about Sabahans in Peninsular Malaysia. We need a centre to gather this information and support them.
“We propose establishing the one-stop centre in partnership with the Sabah State Liaison Office in Kuala Lumpur (PPNSKL). It would serve as a coordination platform and official link between Sabahans in Peninsular Malaysia and various state and federal government agencies.
“Through this single reference centre, Sabahans will no longer need to deal with multiple agencies separately to resolve matters involving registration, employment opportunities, skills development and welfare,” he said at the Carefest 2026 gala dinner organised by the Sabah Care Support Association (PSPS) last Friday.
Yacob said the initiative would establish the Sabah Population Information System (SMPENSA) as an official database to help the Sabah State Government understand the distribution, needs and socioeconomic status of its people living in Peninsular Malaysia.
Yacob, a native of Sabah from Penampang, is also the director of employment agency E-Bayu Sdn Bhd, which has operated in Peninsular Malaysia for more than 15 years.
He said the centre would also focus on connecting jobseekers with employers by offering opportunities in sectors such as services, hospitality, tourism and elderly care.
“It will also provide access to skills development programmes, including the Malaysian Skills Certificate (SKM) and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), while coordinating job placements with relevant agencies such as the Department of Labour of Peninsular Malaysia (JTKSM) and the Ministry of Human Resources (KESUMA),” he said.
Yacob added that the proposal to establish the one-stop centre was based on a letter from the Sabah Chief Minister’s Office, signed by the Chief Minister’s Senior Private Secretary, Datuk Ceasar Mandela Malakun.
He stressed that tens of thousands of Sabahans were reportedly working in various sectors in Peninsular Malaysia. Some face problems including unstable employment, loss of income after being laid off, unpaid wages, scams and social issues such as drug abuse.
“These are the people we need to help. We can offer them suitable jobs if they know about this one-stop centre,” he said.
He added that through E-Bayu, they could apply for official recognition from the Sabah State Government as a strategic partner under the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) development plan. This step could help ensure that Sabahans living outside the state continue to receive support, in line with the goal of ensuring no Sabah-born person is left out of mainstream development.
The agency stressed that the initiative is not intended to take over the duties of any government department. Instead, it will provide support by bringing together the efforts of the private and public sectors.
E-Bayu hopes the state leadership will give serious consideration to its proposals for official recognition, the appointment of a dedicated mediation panel, and office space coordinated under PPNSKL, for the future well-being of Sabahans living away from home.
