Investigate those abusing the system, govt urged

PETALING JAYA: While the proposal for harsher punishment for companies that fail to provide jobs to foreign workers they recruited would be a good move, there are other issues that need urgent attention from the government, say business groups.

Malaysian Association of Employment Agencies president Datuk Foo Yong Hooi said there was a need to investigate how certain foreign workers fall prey to these job syndicates.

“It is reasonable to impose harsher punishment against those who abuse the system.

“In reference to the Bangladeshis who have fallen prey to the job scam, the authorities should check if they were hired previously and lost their jobs or if they were hired without any job upon arriving here,” he said.

Foo said the government must be fair to all parties as there are syndicates that abused the system.

“The authorities also need to investigate as there were companies that were victimised by unscrupulous agencies while trying to hire foreign workers. The best solution is that all workers must be brought in by licensed agencies,” he added.

Yesterday, Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said he had presented a proposal to the Cabinet that a compound of up to RM30,000 per worker be imposed against companies that fail to provide jobs for the foreign workers that they recruit.

Johari said this issue affected all sectors, including the plantation sector, which is facing a labour shortage.

The Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) president Tan Sri Soh Thian Lai said the matter must be investigated thoroughly before the ministry imposes such hefty fines on employers who are most likely not the culprits in such incidences.

“It would be unfair for the authorities to immediately place the blame on employers without proper probe into the matter.

“Manufacturers for one are subjected to strict requirements from the International Trade and Industry Ministry as the regulatory agency for the manufacturing sector, for employers to show proof of orders and demand as justification for the number of foreign workers applied to ensure that the industry does not abuse the system and bring in excessive number of workers.

“In fact, many manufacturers who had applied for foreign workers after the freeze on applications was lifted in February 2022 have held back bringing in their full approved quota numbers after experiencing subsequent slowdown in demand as they would not be able to sustain the workers under such circumstances of slow orders,” he said.

Soh added that such acts of bringing workers with no confirmed jobs are very likely perpetrated by unscrupulous agents who bring in workers under false promises of jobs awaiting them.

There is also claims of fraudulent activities in the recruitment process by falsifying applications using genuine company credentials to bring in the workers.

He said this clearly indicates that there are major weaknesses in the entire recruitment process which must be tackled immediately and with action taken on the main culprits.

“It is for this precise reason that the FMM has been calling for the more effective foreign worker management through a single ministry and single end-to-end online system to ensure a holistic, fair and transparent administration of foreign workers in the country where no other ministry or agency should get involved in the process of employer eligibility in the recruitment process other than the single ministry in charge which should be the Human Resources Ministry.”

Soh said the government agencies responsible for the border controls at entry points should be more vigilant and exercise proper controls in admitting documented workers.

Sarawak Oil Palm Plantation Owners Association chairman Eric Kiu said Johari’s proposal would hopefully lead to a more efficient deployment of workers.

“Foreign workers are very much controlled in the country and any mismanagement of this resource would deprive others,” he said.

Malay Chamber of Commerce Malaysia president Norsyahrin Hamidon agreed with Kiu on the issue.