LETTER | I refer to the letter from Guna Balakrishnan, which, among others, claims that my commentary on the proposed new system for migrant workers appears to be built on pure fabrication rather than verified facts.

Further, he casts aspersions on my credibility and integrity as a journalist, disputing that the quotes attributed to Human Resources Minister R Ramanan highlighted the level of ethics I practise as a journalist.

Let me put the record straight. He is wrong on all counts. I did not pick anything from thin air or use creative licence in the commentary.

It is preposterous to claim that I relied on former MP Charles Santiago, and I did not base my conclusions on unverified third-party assertions. To suggest otherwise, as the writer does, is misleading and undermines the credibility of the reporting itself.

This is far from the truth. The attributed quotes were from the national news agency Bernama, and published by several other publications, including The Edge, Free Malaysia Today, and The Star.

This is what Bernama reported: “Human Resources Minister R Ramanan has rejected a report by an international media organisation alleging that Malaysia is planning to adopt a new foreign worker recruitment system developed by Bestinet Sdn Bhd.

“Calling the report unverified and inaccurate, he said it contained details that were not known even to him as the minister responsible for tabling any proposal to the cabinet.

“It is shocking to me that they seem to know more about the proposed system than I do. I have not tabled anything to the cabinet, yet they are able to explain it in detail,” he said during a dialogue session with the Concorde Club at Wisma Bernama.

“A Bloomberg report had claimed that the software would allow companies to recruit foreign workers directly without intermediaries that charge high fees.

“Ramanan also rejected claims in the report that the system would charge companies US$1,000 (RM4,700) per worker application.

“That figure is totally false. I have consistently stated that the government is moving towards zero migration cost. It is ridiculous to suggest otherwise,” he said.

Check minister’s own remarks

Guna seems to argue that Ramanan never made these remarks. However, they were never disputed by the minister, the ministry, or his aides.

Bernama chairperson Wong Chun Wai chaired the Concorde Club meeting at Wisma Bernama, and if the contents were erroneous or misquoted the minister, he would certainly have directed a correction to be sent out. There were none.

Subsequently, NST reported that the Human Resources Ministry sees no issues with the country adopting a new migrant worker recruitment system developed by Bestinet.

"We are still in discussion. After that, I will table a paper to the cabinet. At the moment, I see no issues with adopting Bestinet as the system developer," he was quoted as saying.

So, after lashing out at Bloomberg, the minister took a conciliatory stance.

My commentary was based on facts, not fiction or fabrication. Being a veteran newsman, I am aware that I am held to higher standards and have always maintained a commitment to accuracy, fairness, and accountability.

I do not peddle rumours or indulge in sensationalism; instead, I rely on verified information and credible sources.

The public’s trust is not a privilege I take lightly. I have consistently upheld the principles of responsible journalism - even when the truth is inconvenient or uncomfortable.

I encourage Guna to refer this matter to the Malaysian Media Council, which is the appropriate body to deliberate on issues of journalistic ethics, professional conduct, and public accountability, and whose rulings carry the weight of institutional legitimacy.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.