Be facilitators, don’t exploit migrant workers, PM tells recruiters

 

Anwar Ibrahim with Joko Widodo at a press conference in Bogor, West Java. (AP pic)

PETALING JAYA: Hiring agencies involved in bringing migrant workers into the country should serve as facilitators rather than exploiting foreign labourers for the sake of profit, says Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

He said digitising the recruitment system for migrant workers would be key to cutting down on red tape and the number of hiring agencies, Bernama reported.

“Issues (pertaining to the intake of foreign labour) should be resolved in a more comprehensive manner so that the fate of the workers would be protected.

“We will avoid issues which can strain ties between Malaysia and Indonesia because I want the Malaysia-Indonesia relationship to remain strong,” he said at a joint press conference with Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Bogor, West Java.

The treatment of Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia has been a recurring issue over the years.

Indonesia imposed a temporary freeze on all workers entering Malaysia in July last year following a dispute over the system used for the recruitment of Indonesian maids.

This was lifted in August after both nations agreed to integrate the current system for the intake of domestic workers. - FMT