FMM objects to fining bosses of duped migrants

 

The Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) has objected to the proposal for the government to fine companies that fail to provide jobs for foreign workers that they recruited.

Its president Soh Tian Lai said in a statement that the proposed fine of up to RM30,000 per worker will be unfair to the companies.

“It would be unfair for the authorities to immediately place the blame on employers without a proper probe into the matter," said Soh.

“Manufacturers are subjected to strict requirements from the International Trade and Industry Ministry (Miti) as the regulatory agency for the manufacturing sector, where employers must show proof of orders and demand from customers as justification for the number of foreign workers applied.

“These requirements ensure that the industry does not abuse the system and bring in an excessive number of workers,” he added.

Yesterday, Plantation and Commodities Minister Johari Abdul Ghani suggested that fines be imposed on employers if they cannot place their workers in employment within a month of their arrival.

Meanwhile, Soh said many manufacturers who had applied for foreign workers after the freeze on applications was lifted in February 2022 have held back bringing in their full approved quota numbers after experiencing a subsequent slowdown in demand.

As such, he argued that acts of bringing workers with no confirmed jobs were likely done by unscrupulous agents who engaged in fraudulent activities, such as falsifying applications to bring in the workers using genuine company credentials.

“It is for this precise reason that FMM has been calling on the government for a more effective foreign worker management through a single ministry and single end-to-end online system.

“This is to ensure a holistic, fair and transparent administration of foreign workers in the country where no other ministry or agency should get involved in the process of employer eligibility in the recruitment process other than the single ministry in charge which should be the human resources ministry,” Soh explained.

Soh Tian Lai

In addition, he said government agencies responsible for border controls should be more vigilant and exercise proper controls in admitting documented workers.

'Employers need new workers’

At the same time, Soh also said some employers need to apply for new foreign worker quotas amid an ongoing freeze in applications.

“Having a total and across-the-board halt in the foreign worker application and approval process will intensify the challenging business environment,” he said, adding that industries could impact the growth of the economy at large.

“While the industry is slowly transforming towards more automation and technology adoption, the sector will continue to need foreign workers to support certain aspects of their operations while they gradually reduce dependence on foreign workers,” he added. - Mkini