PUTRAJAYA: The proposed implementation of a new foreign worker recruitment system will be presented to the Cabinet for deliberation before the Home Ministry takes an official position, says Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
“When presented to the Cabinet, the Home Ministry will share its views at that time,” the Home Minister said during a press conference yesterday.
Saifuddin Nasution was asked about the proposed Universal Recruitment Advanced Platform (Turap), a new system mooted to overhaul the country’s foreign worker recruitment process.
Previously, nine Parti Keadilan Rakyat MPs said they were alarmed by reports quoting Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan regarding a proposal to introduce the system developed by Bestinet Sdn Bhd.
On the same issue, the Human Resources Ministry said it had yet to decide, commit, appoint or enter into an agreement with any party over the foreign worker recruitment system.
The ministry said it is currently reviewing and refining the proposal through engagement sessions involving labour source countries, industry players and the technology provider of the Foreign Worker Centralised Management System (FWCMS), which has been used to manage foreign workers coming to Malaysia since 2015.
“Any reports or statements suggesting that a decision has been finalised are untrue, misleading and do not reflect the government’s actual position,” the ministry said in a statement.
It said a review of the foreign worker ecosystem found gaps in the recruitment component in source countries, particularly involving issues of debt bondage, which could expose workers to exploitation risks.
As a result, it is exploring the development of a digital foreign worker recruitment system based on artificial intelligence to improve the overall foreign worker recruitment ecosystem.
“The approach will enable employers to directly recruit foreign workers based on their actual labour needs.
“This process will encompass all aspects in source countries, including registration, the establishment of employment contracts between employers and workers, and the facilitation of worker deployment.
“Recruitment costs will be borne entirely by employers, reducing reliance on middlemen and ensuring that no financial burden is imposed on foreign workers,” the statement said.
The ministry said the proposal focuses only on the recruitment process in source countries at the post-quota approval stage and does not affect any pre-recruitment processes, such as the roles of regulatory agencies, quota approvals, or government enforcement activities under existing laws.
It also said the involvement and role of private employment agencies in Malaysia would remain.
The ministry said it remains committed to strengthening local talent development as the core of labour market reforms, in line with its long-term agenda to reduce dependence on foreign workers.
