Speaking to FMT, Security Training and Development Association (Stadam) President Khirudin Tajudin said the problem of supply was not because locals were against doing hard work.
“We have many former military and police officers who have proven they can do the job, and we also have many people joining Rela, so we should not have a supply problem.
“The issue is that there is a stigma with being a security guard, that the pay does not commensurate with the duties and that it is a lowly job.”
Khiruddin said industry players must take responsibility for this as they have not made the job attractive to locals.
He said security agencies must do more to attract locals, either through better wages or benefits.
More importantly, Khirudin said security companies needed to show locals that the job of a security guard was a good, credible and skilled occupation by equipping security personnel with proper training and tools for the job.
He said the Human Resources Ministry classified security as one of the occupations under the National Occupation Skills Standards.
This allowed for local security personnel to receive training accreditation and proof of competency for undergoing various training courses.
However, Khirudin said that many companies were reluctant to send their local security personnel for training and would rather hire foreign security guards.
An over-reliance on foreign security guards, Khirudin said, was not good for the nation as it would result in a lack of local competency and an outflow of money from the country.
Earlier Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced that the government had allowed the hiring of foreign security guards from two other countries, aside from Nepal.
This was due to a shortage in Nepalese guards with a police or military background.
Many Nepalese are also reluctant to work as guards in Malaysia because of the poor exchange rate, low pay and long working hours. They prefer to go to other countries like Singapore, where the pay is better.
The Nepal-only policy was enforced in 2006.
Zahid, who is also home minister, stressed that local guards must be given priority.