Activist pleads for PM’s intervention in foreign worker issue

MELAKA: A labour rights activist is making a desperate appeal to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to quickly resolve the issue of foreign worker recruitment.

John Gananathan (pic), chairman of the International Workers Defence Organisation that advocates for the rights of foreign workers, said Anwar has insight into the issue.

“Our Prime Minister knows these matters well as he had previously raised the issue involving visa applications through an online system for foreign workers.

“He is the right person to address labour shortages in critical industries such as the plantation, construction and manufacturing sectors,” he said when contacted.

Gananathan claimed that the web-based online management system administered by a third party to handle various matters concerning foreign workers, including visa applications, biometric profiling and health screening, had caused problems to recruitment agencies as well as employers.

“It is ineffective, with a number of glitches in the process of recruiting foreign workers.

“Furthermore, we received reliable information that the management of the online system is said to be monopolised by foreigners.

“We urge the government to intervene in a bid to give more opportunities to locals to handle the intake of foreign manpower,” he added.

Gananathan suggested the public be given the option of using the over-the-counter service provided by the Immigration Department without going through the hassle of the present online application process that has left many employers in several sectors frustrated.

He said the government should not outsource the approval process to a third party and make it mandatory to use the system by placing all matters related to foreign workers directly under the Human Resources Ministry.

“The ministry is the rightful entity to handle human resource issues in the country, while the issuance of visas should be under the purview of the Immigration Department,” he added.

Gananathan said swift action by the Prime Minister would also prevent any form of misappropriation and malpractice.

Based on data provided by the Malaysian Employers Federation, some 475,678 employers had submitted applications to recruit foreign workers through the online system up to April 1 this year.

Gananathan said from the figure, 290,248 were from the manufacturing sector, 77,000 from the services sector, 53,854 from the plantation sector, 43,519 from the construction sector, 11,037 from the agricultural sector, and 20 from the mining and quarry industry.