Hefty fines in line to target system abusers

PETALING JAYA: The proposal to penalise companies that fail to provide foreign workers with jobs after they are brought into the country with a hefty fine is justified as there are those who abuse the system, says Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani (pic).

The Plantations and Commodities Minister said it is incumbent on the government to act swiftly in addressing the prolonged issue of foreign workers being deceived with job opportunities.

He said this in reply to the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers president Tan Sri Soh Thian Lai’s objection to the proposal to slap a fine of RM30,000 per worker on such companies as he said it is unfair to the companies without a proper investigation being conducted.

Johari noted that agencies cannot apply for quotas without getting demand from companies first.

“If there is proof that agencies are using fake documents to artificially increase the quotas asked for, then it is the agencies that will be fined heftily.

“Again, I stress that companies which do not exploit the recruitment process will not be fined and should not be worried,” he said in a statement yesterday.

The Titiwangsa MP said the proposal is meant to deter unscrupulous parties who are out to exploit the system.

He added that the proposed fine commensurate with the offence committed and will also cover the costs of repatriating the foreign workers, which are currently borne by the government.

Johari said it is also crucial that the recruitment processes of foreign workers be further tightened.

“The issue here is there’s a possibility that some companies are asking for quotas of foreign workers without actually having any job openings.

“They are just trying to make money by selling quotas to other companies.

“This is deemed human trafficking or forced labour,” he added.

Johari said companies that have submitted an application for the foreign workers’ quotas need to make sure there are jobs readily available for them in the country.

Foreign workers who end up without jobs upon arrival in Malaysia have become a major burden on the country’s resources, he said.

“More often than not, these poor workers cannot afford to go back to their country and end up soaking up resources in terms of subsidies and healthcare, besides also creating other social problems,” he added.

Johari made the proposal during last week’s Cabinet meeting as he said the issue has been impacting all sectors, including the plantation sector, which is facing a labour shortage.

He said the proposal was initiated following the incident on Dec 25 where 171 Bangladeshi workers in Pengerang, Johor, were detained when they reported to the police about their agent having allegedly failed to provide them with jobs for the past three months.