More slam return of foreign workers’ one-stop centre to home ministry

 

Employers are riled by the move to inject more red tape into the process of getting foreign workers. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Stakeholders have lamented Putrajaya’s decision to once again place the one-stop centre (OSC) for the recruitment of foreign workers under the home ministry.

This comes barely six months after the previous government under Ismail Sabri Yaakob had placed the OSC under the human resources ministry, a move lauded by these stakeholders as a measure to save costs and time in recruiting and managing foreign workers.

Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Christina Tee said placing the OSC under the human resources ministry reduced bureaucracy and ensured efficiency in addressing the labour shortage.

“Despite the initial hiccups, the OSC under the human resources ministry has gone down well with the industry.

Christina Tee.

“Any changes to this initiative will cause further disruption to an already challenging labour market,” Tee told FMT.

The Malaysian Employers Federation also questioned the decision announced by human resources minister V Sivakumar last Wednesday.

“Why the change? It’s more efficient to put OSC under the human resource ministry for all foreign workers as agreed previously,” said its president, Syed Hussain Syed Husman.

Prior to this, MEF had lauded the move to place the OSC under the human resources ministry as it notably eliminated the cross-ministry involvement.

Syed Hussain Syed Husman.

Meanwhile, Federation of Malaysia Business Association adviser Ameer Ali Mydin said it was important for the application process to be smooth and brisk, minus the red tape.

“Irrespective of which ministry the matter falls under, we want the government to ensure the process is transparent and no corruption is involved.”

Ameer, managing director of Mydin hypermarkets, hoped the one-stop centre lived up to its name without applicants having to go back and forth between different ministries.

“The meaning of a one-stop centre should be clear — it should literally be one stop, not two stops.”

Ameer Ali Mydin.

To ensure faster approvals, Ameer suggested that companies that have a record of employing foreign workers be given automatic approval without having to apply from scratch.

“With this minor adjustment, at least the majority of the approvals will become automatic.”

However, he called for approval to be denied to outsourcing companies.

“These companies make money from outsourcing foreign workers. Priority should be given to applicants who are in need of workers. That includes small traders and hawkers.”

Earlier, the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers slammed the government for backpedalling on policies on the placement of the OSC for foreign worker recruitment.

Its president, Soh Thian Lai, said the flip-flop in the policy will set back business and economic recovery “as there would be a recalibration of the policy and system by the home ministry after taking over the foreign worker management”. - FMT