Saifuddin: No update on MACC migrant workers recruitment probe

Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail today said he has yet to be briefed on any developments surrounding MACC’s probe on alleged irregularities in the foreign workers recruitment process.

“There is no update,” Saifuddin Nasution said when asked on the matter during a press conference at the Immigration Department headquarters in Putrajaya today after a briefing from director-general Khairul Dzaimee Daud.

In July, Malaysiakini reported that the MACC had, based on a report lodged by Penang PKR Youth, initiated a probe into alleged irregularities in the selection of 25 Bangladesh recruitment agencies authorised by Malaysia.

Malaysiakini at the time reported that MACC’s probe will focus on both the Human Resources Ministry as well as the Home Ministry’s roles in managing the recruitment of migrant workers from not only Bangladesh but also 12 other source countries.

Under the previous administration of Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Malaysia had reopened the labour market with Bangladesh and Indonesia through new bilateral agreements as well as facilitated new entries from 12 other source countries after lifting Covid-19 border restrictions.

Various industries, however, continue to face critical labour shortages, including the rubber and oil palm plantations industries that reportedly have a shortfall of 200,000 migrant workers.

374,000 applications approved

Overall, Saifuddin Nasution (above) said the Immigration Department has approved 374,000 of 404,000 applications for Visa with Reference received this year up to Dec 4 from employers looking to hire migrant workers. 

“The remaining applications that are being processed are about 30,000.

“If we look at these numbers, our commitment (for approval) that we feel reasonable is between seven to 14 days,” he said.

Of the approved figures, Saifuddin Nasution said only 68 percent of the workers, or over 250,000, have been brought in to work.

He added that employers who have yet to bring in their workers are faced with, among others, cost considerations in Malaysia and source countries that are beyond the government’s control.

Specifically from Bangladesh, the previous administration had in September approved a one-off government-to-government arrangement for the urgent recruitment of 10,000 Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia.

However, only the first group of 30 workers had arrived as of Nov 30.

The new approvals and arrivals are on top of an existing 1.4 million migrant workers in the country up to Nov 30.

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