PETALING JAYA: Bestinet’s Foreign Workers Centralised Management System (FWCMS) will continue as usual amid damning allegations against its founder Datuk Seri Mohamed Aminul Islam (pic), says his lawyer.
Datuk N. Sivananthan said allegations linking Aminul Islam to human trafficking, extortion and money laundering relating to foreign worker recruitment did not have any bearing on the company or the system involved.
“Bestinet and the FWCMS system are operating as usual.
“The nonsensical allegations do not and will not interfere with what the company does, to ensure the smooth flow of foreign workers into Malaysia.
“My client stands by his position that the allegations are baseless and will clear his name,” he said when contacted yesterday.
Sivananthan was asked to comment on the revelation by Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail on Sunday that Bangladesh wanted Malaysian authorities to arrest and extradite Aminul Islam and his associate Mohamad Ruhul Amin over allegations involving its migrant workers.
However, the minister said Dhaka must state if the two were needed for questioning as part of an investigation or if they were to be charged in court there.
He said this was because an extradition request only came into play if charges were brought against the duo or if a mutual legal assistance channel via Interpol was being sought for them to assist investigations in Bangladesh.
Asked how Aminul Islam intended to clear his name, Sivananthan said: “He is prepared to cooperate to provide all information required that will clearly exonerate him and Bestinet from any wrongdoing.”
However, he added that this will be done only via correspondence or virtual interview.
On Oct 24, Dhaka’s branch of Interpol reportedly sent a letter to its counterpart in Malaysia, claiming, among others, that Aminul Islam and Ruhul were alleged to have been involved in a system that “fraudulently extorted money from victims while subjecting them to physical and mental torture.”
Aminul Islam is a former Bangladesh national who has taken up Malaysian citizenship.
He stepped down as chairman of Bestinet in July 2023 but remains a shareholder of the company, while Ruhul acts as his representative in Bangladesh, according to reports.
The FWCMS has been used since 2013 as a platform to monitor and consolidate visa applications from 15 countries (including Bangladesh) exporting labour to Malaysia.
