Officials dodge queries on likely snag in maid hiring system

Immigration Department's top officials have refused to elaborate on how its new domestic worker recruitment system might be in conflict with Indonesian and Filipino regulations.

Both Indonesia and Philippines do not allow the direct hiring of workers by employers and instead make it mandatory for recruits to be done through agents.

However, Putrajaya's new online recruitment system - unveiled during Budget 2018 in October - was specifically designed to cut out the agents and allow direct hiring instead.

At a press conference to demonstrate the new system today, immigration director-general Mustafar Ali was repeatedly asked whether there have been objections by Philippines and Indonesia.

"We don't need to touch on that issue first. What we are saying is there are already potential workers from (such countries) here (in Malaysia).

"Employers who have identified the workers, who are already here in Malaysia, can (then) proceed (to recruit them through the online system)...," said Mustafar (photo).

He said the system's main aim was to manage potential workers who were already in the country.

"We just focus on the ones (potential workers) who already hold a valid social visit pass, or their social visit pass has expired.

"Those outside (the country), that's on an individual basis. They (employers) have to manage it (recruitment conditions)," he said.

Mustafar also stated that the process of hiring foreign maids through the online system would only require eight days. 

He elaborated that for employers, the process would start with the registration of an account using the system, followed by the registration of their prospective maids and submission of the Foreign Workers Medical Examination Monitoring Agency’s (Fomema) health screening document, which is expected to take about three days.

"After receiving an application from the employer, the Immigration Department will take at least five days for the document check, approval, payment and finally, printing the temporary employment visit pass," he said.

Immigration director (foreign workers) Khairul Khar Yahya (photo), who was also present, had yesterday said the government has allowed any potential workers who arrived here from Jan 1 to Dec 31 on a tourist visa and have overstayed to be registered by an employer through the system.

On Dec 15, Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had said one way to circumvent the restrictions in Indonesia and Philippines was for employers to engage agents in those two countries.

When asked to comment on this, Mustafar refused to elaborate.
"Like I mentioned earlier... for the Philippines and Indonesia, there are restrictions. But I don't want to mention that.

"We are just explaining how good and how well this online system is to assist potential employers and domestic workers," he stressed.

Mustafar said the new system will be a "fast, accurate and affordable" experience for employers.

According to the Immigration Department's website, the seven others approved source countries for domestic helpers are India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

Cambodia barred its citizens from being recruited as domestic workers in Malaysia in Jan 2012.- Mkini