Malaysian industries call for one-stop foreign worker centre
Employers say this would eliminate the problem of outsourcing agencies
By Sangeetha Amarthalingam
Malaysian industry employers are calling for a one-stop foreign workers recruitment centre that is transparent and simple, with a steady supply of labour, in order to eliminate outsourcing agencies.
Malaysian Iron and Steel Industry Federation president Soh Thian Lai said the agencies were among the factors behind the excess “import” of foreign workers for profiteering reasons.
Soh’s statement comes a day after the postponement of the employer-borne foreign workers levy to 2018, which had initially been slated to take effect on January 1. It will be subject to further scrutiny by the government and industries this year.
Yesterday, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the deferment was necessary in the absence of a proper ecosystem under the newly-introduced Employer Mandatory Commitment.
Soh said the deferment is only temporary because the government would eventually implement it or “leave it hanging” as business operations require long-term foreign worker policies.
