KUALA LUMPUR – The Human Resources Ministry’s Foreign Workers Management Division has been abolished, and its functions transferred to the Home Ministry.
In an August 9 social media post, the Human Resources Ministry said the move came into effect on August 1.
“The functions of the division which deals with matters involving the management of foreign workers’ employment have been transferred to the Home Ministry,” stated the post.
Scoop has been made to understand that the Home Ministry is expected to issue a statement on the matter.
The division manages the one-stop centre which reviews and approves foreign worker quotas and recruitment through the Foreign Workers Centralised Management System (FWCMS).
FWCMS was previously under the purview of the Home Ministry before it was passed to the Human Resources Ministry in 2022 under then human resources minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan.
Last month, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said his ministry will review discrepancies and wastage of public funds highlighted by Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee relating to the FWCMS.
The committee found that there were overlapping functions between the FWCMS and the integrated foreign workers management system (ePPAx), with both systems based on the same single-window concept.
The FWCMS is solely operated by controversial IT solutions firm Bestinet Sdn Bhd, which recently had its relationship with Putrajaya extended following the expiration of its six-year contract with the Home Ministry to develop, supply, provide and maintain the FWCMS on May 31.
Saifuddin had on June 24 reportedly confirmed the three-year contract extension following reports by several media outlets on the matter, with the minister stating then that the cabinet had finalised the decision “a few weeks ago”.
However, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission investigations division deputy director Khairul Nurrahim Ashadi Abdullah informed the PAC on January 22 that the graftbusters are still investigating Bestinet. – August 12, 2024