Direct hiring without safeguards will not end exploitation

TENAGANITA welcomes the proposal by the Human Resources Minister to introduce a system for the direct hiring of foreign workers without recruitment agents. For many years, we have advocated for exactly this reform to eliminate exploitative middlemen who have profited from migrant workers through excessive fees, debt bondage, fraud and trafficking.

However, removing agents alone will not automatically protect workers. Without strong oversight, workers can still face cheating, contract substitution, illegal deductions and abuse, only this time directly from employers or informal brokers.