THE Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) said it stands firm that a single agency handling the entire foreign workers employment process from end-to-end (recruitment to repatriation) via a single online system is key to ensuring clarity/transparency and greater efficiency of the system and improving investor confidence. 

“FMM therefore calls on the government to review the decision to split the role of foreign worker management between the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA) and Ministry of Human Resources (MOHR),” its president Soh Thian Lai said in a statement today. 

“The entire processing of labour demand must be handled by MOHR while the MOHA should focus on security issues, issuance of the relevant visa and border control measures as done in other countries that have similar dependence on foreign workers to complement the country’s manpower requirements.” 

Recently, the government had announced that it was moving the One-Stop Centre (OSC) for the recruitment of foreign workers back to the Home Ministry, while the OSC to recruit domestic workers (domestic helpers/maids) remains under the purview of the Human Resources Ministry. 

Among others, FMM said, a single agency/single online system would ensure coordinated policy implementation and also remove duplication of processes and procedures. 

It ensures that a single central repository of foreign workers database is maintained, which can be shared with relevant authorities and agencies, instead of having multiple systems and databases for different stages of the application process handled by different ministries/agencies and requiring employers to submit data and employee authorisation to multiple ministries/agencies.

“It also ensures prompt communication … issues are resolved faster as employers only deal with a single agency and system. It eliminates the need to appoint third-party service providers both domestically and at the source country to handle the many segments/processes involved in the employment of foreign workers.”

Additionally, it removes the discretionary powers of the agencies and officers handling the applications, and does away with rent-seeking activities.

“By streamlining the various applications into a single system, the cost for employers will be lower (too),” said FMM. – Bernama, December 23, 2022.