PLANTATION and Commodities Minister Johari Abdul Ghani has urged the government to act sternly against companies that mislead foreign workers with employment offers and abandon them once they enter Malaysia.

He said to prevent Malaysia from becoming known as a refuge for forced labour and human trafficking, the government must address the persistent problem.

Johari said it was important to tighten foreign worker recruitment, which includes only allowing companies to hire foreign workers when they apply for the manpower themselves.

“The issue here is there’s a possibility that some companies are asking for quotas of foreign workers without actually having any opening for jobs… they are just trying to make money by selling quotas to other companies. This is considered human trafficking or forced labour.

“It is vital the government addresses this prolonged issue of foreign workers being deceived into coming here for work, and if it continues, Malaysia’s image will be tarnished, without repercussions for those responsible,” he said in a statement today.

Johari, who previously suggested a fine of up to RM30,000 per worker to be imposed against companies that fail to provide jobs for the foreign workers they bring in, said agencies or employers not involved in such practices do not have to be worried about being fined by authorities.

He said his proposal for irresponsible companies and agencies to be fined was meant as a deterrent against unscrupulous parties from exploiting the system, but it received an objection from Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) president Soh Thian Lai.

“FMM cannot point fingers because agencies cannot apply for quotas without demand from companies. If there is proof agencies are using fake documents to artificially increase the quota asked for, then it is the agencies that would be heavily fined,” he said.

Johari, who suggested that the proposal during the cabinet meeting on Wednesday examine this dilemma, claimed the problem was affecting all industries, including the plantation industry, which was struggling with a labour shortage.

The Titiwangsa MP said the proposed penalty would be proportionate to the offences committed and pay for the government-funded expense of repatriating migrants.

Johari said he felt obliged to submit the proposal following December 25 media reports of the arrest of 171 Bangladeshi workers, who went to the Bayu Damai police station in Kota Tinggi, Johor, to file a complaint against their agent, claiming they had not been given jobs. – Bernama, January 6, 2024.