Let foreign workers be managed solely by Human Resources Ministry

Former Human Resources Minister M Kulasegaran has called for the recruitment and management of foreign workers to be managed solely by the Human Resources Ministry instead of its current practice that also includes the Home Ministry.

“The current situation, where two ministries share responsibility for managing foreign workers, is not in the best interest of our nation. Functions are overlapping and thus corruption seeps in!!

“The singular authority of the Human Resources Ministry in this matter aligns with international best practices and will undoubtedly result in a more efficient, transparent, and cohesive system,” he said in a statement.

He also pointed out that Malaysia is the only nation out of 64 that manages this issue using two ministries.

In addition to that, Kulasegaran who is Ipoh Barat MP and current Deputy Minister in Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), called for the implementation of recommendations made by the Special Independent Committee on Foreign Worker Management.

The committee headed by former Court of Appeal judge Datuk Seri Hishamudin Yunus was set up in August 2018 and the full report was presented to the Cabinet on 22 May 2019 under the then Pakatan Harapan government.

“I urge the relevant authorities to take prompt action and prioritise the implementation of the recommendations outlined in the report.

“The establishment of a task force is crucial to ensuring that we align with global standards in managing foreign workers and, more importantly, to address the pressing needs of our nation,” Kulasegaran said.