ISKANDAR PUTERI: The Foreign Worker Employment Relaxation Plan introduced last month will help reduce the near-monopolistic grip of agents and hiring syndicates in source countries that reap excessive profits.
Deputy Human Resources Minister Mustapha Mohd Yunus Sakmud said the flexibility that allowed for approval within three days was expected to reduce the bureaucracy on hiring foreign workers.
“The Foreign Worker Employment Relaxation Plan, which was announced in January, is expected to reduce the monopoly of agents and syndicates in source countries that charge very high fees to get foreign workers.
“Among the conditions for hiring foreign workers that were relaxed was the postponement of providing accommodation until a certain time.
“However, the Labour Department will monitor after six months to ensure that employers comply with the conditions set, including providing accommodation for employees,” said Mustapha at a press conference after conducting a working visit at Ciba Vision Johor near the Port of Tanjung Pelepas here yesterday.
He reminded all employers in the country to look out for their workers’ safety and well-being.
Mustapha said, through intelligence and information obtained, that most cases involving foreign workers were related to not providing accommodation as stipulated.
“In a recent operation carried out by the Labour Department in Kluang, we found the accommodation of workers in a wood factory to be very dirty and dusty, with beds without mattresses.
“Employers are urged to always prioritise the welfare and comfort of their workers. The department will conduct surprise raids and inspections at factories throughout the country to ensure that this is complied with,” he said.
On Jan 10, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail announced policy changes for speedier processing of foreign worker recruitment and simplified procedures for application.
On the application process, he said employers must first get approval from the Human Resources Ministry, which could be done within three days, and upon obtaining the approval document, employers could make levy payments at the Immigration Department.
Employers could then identify the foreign workers from the source country and require them to undergo health screenings as a precondition before they leave for Malaysia, he added.
After that, he said, employers must complete applications for the workers’ single entry visa.
Workers would be issued a temporary working visit pass (PLKS) once they arrive and immigration processing is completed.
The new recruitment and quota plan would be in force until March 31, Saifuddin Nasution added.
Employers in need of foreign workers may source from 15 countries, namely India, Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, the Philippines, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Indonesia and Kazakhstan.
