Social Capital As a Sustainable Informal Means for Human Capital Development in Post COVID16 Era: The Case of Oil Palm Human Capital in Malaysia

The pandemic COVID19 leaves great effect on the stability and sustainability of oil palm human capital and labour in Malaysia, especially reduction in foreign oil palm labour. Hence, the precariousness of oil palm labour situation today is evident. Ideally, decrease in foreign oil palm labour reduction should witness an increase in local oil palm labour, namely among the young generation. However, current youth unemployment in the agriculture sector, namely oil palm sector, is due to lack of high interest in the pursuit of agriculture related jobs and careers. Hence, aging local oil palm workers and smallholders still dominate the local oil palm labour scene today. Perhaps. it is time to rethink the means to develop oil palm human capital today in Malaysia. Human capital development based on conventional formal economic means can be supplemented by informal non-economic means that are basically “social” in nature. The “social” refers to a social collectivity or collectivities whose structure if shaped by beneficial social relations (social networks), shared values and shared norms can eventually develop social capital. Based on a recent qualitative study on social capital and human capital in oil palm development in Malaysia, this paper presents some findings on how “the social”, i.e. informal social capital, can create sustainable local oil palm human capital in Malaysia. Oil palm smallholders and oil palm workers develop their social capital sustainably through their on-going social relationships and trust with their friends, family members, neighbours and community members. The capital then creates specific kinds of oil palm related human capital. Hence, valorisation of local oil palm human capital in Malaysia can occur. An implication of the findings is emphasis on informal social capital to develop local oil palm human capital to reduce the precariousness while simultaneously enhance sustainability of local oil palm labour in the country.