KUALA LUMPUR: The Federation of Malaysian Business Associations (FMBA) is calling for formal industry engagement in the development of the proposed Universal Recruitment Advanced Platform (Turap), stating that businesses want to be partners in reforming the nation's foreign labour system.
Welcoming the Human Resources Ministry's clarification that Turap remains a proposal under refinement, the FMBA said it fully supports the government's intent to modernise recruitment, improve transparency, and curb worker exploitation.
However, the federation stressed that any new system must be developed with direct input from the industries that will actually use it.
"We see ourselves as partners in this process," FMBA chairman Datuk Seri Abdul Malik Abdullah said in a statement on Tuesday (May 12).
"We believe that hands-on industry input at this stage will lead to a stronger, more practical system. Understanding the full details of the proposal—including its costs, integration with existing platforms, and operational implications—will allow the business community to engage more meaningfully," he said.
To facilitate this, Abdul Malik said the FMBA proposed the establishment of a formal consultative mechanism, such as a Digital Labour Advisory Panel, allowing business groups to provide ongoing feedback and flag emerging issues.
Abdul Malik also said FMBA outlined several key conditions the business community hopes will be met before Turap is approved.
According to Abdul Malik, one of the main conditions is to ensure that the new platform does not inflate the cost of doing business, as fees for the existing Foreign Worker Centralised Management System (FWCMS) recently increased to RM215 per worker.
He cautioned against a cumulative cost burden on employers—particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs)—if they are required to navigate TURAP alongside the FWCMS and the incoming National Integrated Immigration System (NIISe).
To resolve this, Abdul Malik urged the ministry to integrate all three systems into a seamless "Single Window" to reduce administrative duplication.
He also called for clear government stewardship of any new platform to protect sensitive data, alongside an open, competitive, and independently reviewed procurement process.
Meanwhile, Abdul Malik said the ongoing disruptions to the current FWCMS platform were severe and FMBA requested urgent attention from the ministry on the matter.
Abdul Malik said members across the manufacturing, construction, agriculture, and services sectors have faced months of delays in processing employer interviews and document submissions, severely disrupting workforce planning.
"We respectfully urge the ministry to look into this matter as a priority and to provide employers with a clear timeline for the restoration of full functionality," he said.
Addressing the current FWCMS breakdown promptly, he added, would "go a long way toward rebuilding employer confidence" as the government deliberates on the longer-term Turap proposal.
The FMBA stated it will submit a formal memorandum detailing its recommendations to the ministry and is currently seeking legal counsel to better understand the regulatory landscape surrounding Turap.
In late April, the Human Resources Ministry said the Turap recruitment system was not finalised.
