PETALING JAYA: There are no issues over the adoption of a proposed new foreign worker recruitment system currently under development by Bestinet Sdn Bhd, says Datuk Seri R. Ramanan.
The Human Resources Minister said this is because the company has a track record of managing the country’s migrant labour intake for over 15 years.
He added that the government is still open to considering the new system, and discussions are ongoing on how the mechanism could be implemented effectively.
Ramanan stressed that he was not defending Bestinet despite allegations made in a foreign media report, noting that the company has efficiently managed migrant worker intake since 2011 through its Foreign Worker Centralised Management System (FWCMS).
The report alleged that Bestinet would be awarded the contract.
He also dismissed a recent news report alleging that foreign workers are required to pay recruitment fees of up to US$1,000 (RM3,954).
Ramanan explained that expenses such as flight tickets, visa processing, and other related costs, amounting to less than US$1,000, are usually handled by recruitment agents in the workers’ countries of origin and are not collected by Bestinet.
“I have said this many times that there should be zero migration cost for foreign workers,” he said at a Concorde Club dialogue session at Wisma Bernama yesterday.
He noted that foreign workers currently have to pay between US$5,000 and US$8,000 (RM20,000 to RM25,000) just to secure a job in Malaysia.
The proposed new system, he said, would be a fairer approach as payments are shifted to employers and will cost below US$1,000.
On the implementation of work-from-home (WFH) arrangements for civil servants on Wednesday, Ramanan said those eligible are being closely monitored through a digital application, with senior management tracking their daily progress via hourly or bi-hourly updates.
Asked if the current WFH arrangement would be adopted as a long term measure, Ramanan said that this has yet to be considered.
He said that consideration has to be given to productivity output and the nature of the job and how effectively tasks are carried out.
“Some roles can be done remotely, while others require physical presence,” he added.
He explained that the move to implement the current arrangement was driven by external factors such as ongoing tensions in the Middle East, which necessitated fuel conservation.
By reducing travel, he said the government could lower petrol and diesel consumption, enabling unused fuel subsidies to be redirected towards other more urgent needs, such as food assistance for the rakyat.
Ramanan encouraged wider adoption of WFH measures by the private sector to reduce overall fuel consumption in the country.
“Many banks, multinational companies and GLCs have already implemented this,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ramanan brushed aside claims by certain quarters questioning his professional qualifications, reiterating that he is a trained engineer.
He added that he received his early education at Kolej Tuanku Ja’afar in Mantin before furthering his studies in the United States and Australia.
Also present at the meeting were Bernama chairman Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai, Star Media Group’s chief content officer Datin Paduka Esther Ng and several senior news editors.
The Concorde Club is an informal gathering of senior editors, politicians and key policymakers to discuss current issues.
