If Human Resources Minister R Ramanan ever tires of politics or is removed, Bollywood or Kollywood (the Indian equivalents of Hollywood) would gladly welcome him.
After Thursday’s double performance, he has proven he can play two very different roles in a single day - sometimes within a few hours.
The question for Malaysians is not whether he deserves a Filmfare award, but whether the country can afford a government that operates on scripted twists rather than consistent principles.
In the morning, Ramanan was furious over a Bloomberg report claiming Malaysia planned to adopt a new migrant worker recruitment system developed by Bestinet Sdn Bhd.
The minister called it “unverified and inaccurate”. He went on a tirade, insisting that the report contains details not even known to him, the very minister who would table any such proposal to the cabinet.
“It is shocking to me that they seem to know more about the proposed system than I do.
“I have not tabled anything to the cabinet, yet they can explain it in detail,” he said.
His outrage was theatrical but pointed. He framed himself as the victim of journalistic overreach - a minister kept in the dark by mysterious leakers. For a morning, he was the people’s defender against opaque backroom deals.
Speedy reversal
A new script came a few hours later, as if Ramanan had undergone a remarkable transformation.
Now on the defensive, he declared the ministry sees “no issue” with appointing Bestinet, citing its 15-year track record. The same man who claimed to be in the dark has clearly been briefed - and thoroughly.
“We are still in discussion. After that, I will table a paper to the cabinet. At the moment, I see no issues with adopting Bestinet as the system developer,” he was quoted as saying.
He also told The Star that he was not defending the company - merely asking why anyone would object to Bestinet, given its efficient management of the Foreign Worker Centralised Management System (FWCMS) since 2011.
Efficient? That is debatable. Didn’t Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) find serious irregularities in the FWCMS, with unauthorised users approving applications and procurements made without proper process? (Editor’s note: Bestinet has denied the allegations against it.)
Among others, Bloomberg reported that the proposal was opposed by the previous human resources minister, Steven Sim, before the cabinet reshuffle last December due to several concerns, including over the prospect of handing more power to Bestinet.
Even industry players have expressed scepticism about whether the new system will bring genuine changes or merely add another layer to existing systems.
Was the minister’s initial denial either uninformed or deliberately misleading?
Why shoot the messenger?
Either interpretation is damning. The minister’s U-turn would be farcical on its own, but it becomes gloomy when paired with what happened two weeks earlier.
On April 1, police investigated Malaysiakini over an article on the proposed migrant worker recruitment system. Its journalist, B Nantha Kumar, was called in to give a statement.
Sepang district police headquarters cited Section 203A of the Penal Code (unauthorised disclosure of information) and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act (misuse of social networks). Nantha’s statement was recorded for 90 minutes.
The article in question? A March 27 report on a proposed digital system to manage migrant workers.
The story quoted industry sources. It did not claim final government approval. It did not cite classified documents. It reported on a proposal.
If the government has nothing to hide, why are journalists being hauled in for doing their jobs? Why invoke penal provisions designed for leaks of national security secrets to question reporting on a migrant worker recruitment system?
Track records cut both ways
The answer lies in what the government fears most: scrutiny. The proposed system involves billions of ringgit in recruitment fees, agent commissions, and worker levies.
Migrant labour is a multi-billion-ringgit industry in Malaysia, with a long history of abuse, corruption, and human trafficking. Any new system that centralises control, especially with a single private company, raises immediate red flags.
Bestinet may have a 15-year track record, but track records cut both ways. It has faced criticism over data security, cost transparency, and alleged monopolistic practices.
To propose expanding its role without public consultation or parliamentary oversight, and then to lash out at journalists who report on it - that is not good governance. It is damage control.
Credibility test
The fuss is not about systems or acronyms. It is about trust. And why the obsession with Bestinet? The government’s credibility is on trial.
Consider the message sent to civil servants: if you leak information that embarrasses your minister, you will be hunted.
Consider the message sent to journalists: if you report on policy proposals before the government is ready to announce them, you risk questioning by the police.
There are nearly two million documented migrant workers in Malaysia, plus hundreds of thousands of undocumented.
They build our homes, clean our offices, and work in our plantations and factories. Their recruitment system determines whether they arrive in debt or with dignity, whether they are protected or exploited.
A government that changes its story on such a system within hours is not acting in good faith. A government that silences journalists for asking questions is not a government committed to transparency.
Malaysians deserve ministers who mean what they say in the morning and stand by it in the afternoon. We deserve a press that can report on policy proposals without fear of criminal investigation.
And it deserves a public debate on migrant worker recruitment that is transparent, evidence-based, and accountable - not hidden behind police letters and afternoon U-turns.
The curtain has risen on this act, but the audience is still waiting for the truth, and they cannot wait until the fat lady sings. - Mkini
R NADESWARAN is a veteran journalist who strives to uphold the ethos of civil rights leader John Lewis: “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something.” Comments: citizen.nades22@gmail.com.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.
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