FORMER Klang MP Charles Santiago today reiterated a call for the Prime Minister’s Office to take over the management of migrant workers from the Home and Human Resources Ministries.

Santiago said the PMO panel overseeing migrant workers should be chaired by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and helmed by either a retired judge or senior government official or the head of a private company.

“It’s a multi-billion ringgit business. It’s controlled by labour brokers. Government servants and politicians work with these labour brokers and politicians often front labour recruitment agencies,” the DAP member said in a statement.

Santiaga repeated the call after the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission detained several staff members of government officials, including two aides to Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar, over suspected graft.

Santiago also urged the government to also dismantle the Bestinet portal.

“The recruitment portal is also controlled by major labour brokers. Anwar should support a zero-recruitment policy; all payments to be borne by employers.

“labour brokers make money from employers and migrants resulting in debt bondage and forced labour accusations.”

He said recruitment process must be open and transparent in both the sending and receiving countries, adding that the charges for health, air travel and accommodation must be made known to the workers.

He urged Putrajaya to release the 2019 Special Committee on Foreign Workers Management report. The panel is chaired by Court of Appeal judge Hishammudin Yunus.

“Migrant management is being held hostage by unscrupulous middlemen in countries (on both sides). Governments, employers and the economy are held to ransom by middlemen. It has to stop for the country to go forward.”

The MACC is believed to have raided the Home Ministry’s office following allegations staff had set up a migrant worker recruitment scheme despite a conflict of interest. – April 15, 2023.