Bestinet Sdn Bhd has stepped forward to defend its track record, amid questions about the Foreign Worker Centralised Management System (FWCMS) that it operates and the upcoming The Universal Recruitment Advanced Platform (Turap).
It said the criticism against it by “certain public figures” is false and based on selective data that had been taken out of context.
“Their opposition is not principled governance advocacy. It is the defence of a financial ecosystem that has profited for decades from the exploitation of vulnerable migrant workers,” it said in the statement issued through the law firm Lui & Bhullar last night.
It warned that the company will take legal action against such claims.
Consultations, assessments, reviews
Among others, Bestinet said every government decision on FWCMS is the result of various consultations, assessments and reviews, and any allegation of irregularities undermines the integrity of Malaysia’s executive decision-making.
It said the company is also contractually committed to transfer full ownership of FWCMS to the government upon completion of the contract.
As for Turap, Bestinet said it is meant to complement existing systems by tackling potential exploitation during village-level migrant worker recruitment in source countries.
It is not intended to replace the existing systems like FWCMS, the Malaysian Immigration Integrated Management System (MyIMMs), or the National Integrated Immigration System (NIISe), it said.
Statement in full
The statement from Bestinet is reproduced in full below:
From systemic abuse to full transparency: Bestinet defends FWCMS against misleading narratives
A government-approved, UN-recognised platform that transformed Malaysia’s foreign worker management ecosystem - and why those disrupted by that transformation are now fighting back.
We act for Bestinet Sdn Bhd. We write pursuant to our client’s instructions to clarify the factual position and place on record the following:
As the architects, investors, engineers and operators of one of the world’s most advanced foreign worker management infrastructures, Bestinet stands firmly behind its system and the facts that underpin it.
The reality before FWCMS
Before FWCMS, Malaysia’s foreign worker management ecosystem was manual, fragmented and vulnerable to abuse - with no digital records, no audit trail and no accountability. Ministries operated in silos with no integration.
Employers queued as early as 3am at government counters, creating repeated opportunities for illicit and unrecorded payments.
In the vast majority of cases, medical reports and insurance documents were falsified. In many cases, workers sent impostors to medical screenings. Q
uota applications were manually manipulated through collusion between employers, brokers and intermediaries - generating artificial demand to extract money from vulnerable workers who often arrived in debt bondage. Derived from industry assessments and historical observations, the financial leakages ran into the billions of ringgit.
How Bestinet transformed the ecosystem - at its own initiative and investment
Bestinet - founded in 2008, building on proposals dating to 2001 - undertook a privately funded national initiative to build a world-class digital solution at zero cost to the government or taxpayer.
FWCMS is a 15-module cross-border governance platform, the first of its kind globally, integrating 15 labour-sending countries, 232+ accredited medical centres and every relevant Malaysian government agency into one unified digital ecosystem.
The system was developed following more than 500 formal engagements with Malaysian Government agencies, recommended by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Special Branch, Malaysia, and designed in accordance with the principles and policies of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
It received formal government approval through the SST in 2018 and concession agreement in 2024 following a comprehensive inter-ministerial evaluation including review by Ukas.
Assertions that the fee structure represents an increase are factually incorrect in fact after a negotiation with the Ukas the revised fee absorbed the previous separate services like PLKS, ISC and medical screening - overall representing a significant reduction.
Also to be noted that Bestinet provided its services without any fee collections from 2012 to 2018.
Turap - the next frontier in worker protection
Village-level recruitment in source countries remains ungoverned. To Bestinet’s knowledge, no government or employer body anywhere in the world today possesses effective mechanisms to oversee, verify or govern this layer - where the most acute exploitation of migrant workers occurs.
Turap - the Universal Recruitment Advanced Platform - is the first platform of its kind in the world, developed drawing on nearly 40 years of cumulative industry experience. It is designed to complement - not replace - FWCMS, MyIMMS, NIISe and all other government systems, operating at a distinct upstream layer to eliminate recruitment exploitation at its source.
The government’s decisions: Due process and institutional integrity
Every government decision on FWCMS - from the 2012 POC, through mandatory adoption in 2015, to the 2024 formal contract - resulted from rigorous, multi-layered institutional processes including inter-ministerial consultations, security assessments, international advisory input and over a decade of evidence-based performance review.
Any characterisation of these decisions as irregular, improper or influenced by extraneous factors undermines the institutional integrity of Malaysia’s executive decision-making. Bestinet has contractually committed to transfer full ownership of FWCMS to the government upon contract completion.
Who is behind the negative narratives - and why
The current criticism does not reflect good-faith policy discourse. FWCMS eliminated billions in annual leakage previously flowing through informal intermediaries. Turap threatens to eliminate what remains of that network.
Certain public figures have used these national infrastructure systems as instruments of political positioning - making false allegations based on selective and decontextualised data. Their opposition is not principled governance advocacy. It is the defence of a financial ecosystem that has profited for decades from the exploitation of vulnerable migrant workers. Bestinet will take all necessary legal action against false, misleading or defamatory statements.
Global recognition
FWCMS, among other local and international awards, was awarded the United Nations World Summit Award (WSA) in 2017 in Vienna, Austria - competing against entries from over 180 countries - widely regarded as the world’s most prestigious recognition for digital innovation aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. More than a decade after implementation, no comparable system exists anywhere in the world.
Conclusion: We built it. We stand behind it. Malaysia needs it
Bestinet has invested more than two decades and substantial private capital - without government funding - in transforming Malaysia’s foreign worker management ecosystem. The facts are clear. The evidence is irrefutable. The global recognition is documented. Bestinet will not be deterred by parties whose interests depend on a return to fraud, trafficking and exploitation. - Mkini
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