In Petaling Jaya, business groups have voiced concern about the proposal to impose harsher penalties on companies that fail to provide jobs to foreign workers that they have recruited. Malaysian Association of Employment Agencies president Datuk Foo Yong Hooi emphasized the need to investigate how certain foreign workers become victims of these job syndicates.
Foo stressed the importance of imposing harsher punishments against those who abuse the system. He also emphasized the need for fairness, as some companies have been victimized by unscrupulous agencies while trying to hire foreign workers. He suggested that all workers should be brought in by licensed agencies to prevent such abuses.
Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani has proposed a compound of up to RM30,000 per worker to be imposed against companies that fail to provide jobs for the foreign workers they recruit. The Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) president Tan Sri Soh Thian Lai expressed concerns about imposing such hefty fines on employers without thoroughly investigating the matter. Soh also raised issues related to fraudulent recruitment activities and weaknesses in the overall recruitment process.
Soh emphasized the need for more effective foreign worker management through a single ministry and a single end-to-end online system to ensure fair and transparent administration of foreign workers in the country. He also called for more stringent border controls at entry points to prevent undocumented workers from entering the country.
Meanwhile, Sarawak Oil Palm Plantation Owners Association chairman Eric Kiu expressed hope that Johari’s proposal would lead to a more efficient deployment of workers, emphasizing the need to prevent mismanagement of foreign workers as it could impact others. Malay Chamber of Commerce Malaysia president Norsyahrin Hamidon echoed this sentiment.
