HR Ministry replaces labour DG amid foreign workers job scam - source

The Human Resources Ministry has replaced two top officials who have been reassigned to other duties.

This, sources said, includes Labour director-general Asri Ab Rahman whose transfer within the ministry is set to take place within 24 hours of notification.

The ministry deputy secretary-general of operations, Muhd Khair Razman Mohamed Annuar, is also expected to vacate his position by the end of the day.

Ministry sources confirmed that National Unity and Integration Department director-general Norison Ramli will replace Khair in his role on Monday.

The swift personnel changes come under the direction of the ministry’s newly appointed secretary-general Zaini Ujang.

Zaini, who assumed his position in April amid a growing glut of foreign workers stranded in the country without work, is expected to take further action on more officers in the coming days, sources said.

It is understood that there has been an internal investigation into foreign labour quota approvals, revealed ministry sources.

Reports have emerged from hundreds of South Asian migrants in Malaysia who claimed recruitment agents enticed them with promises of job opportunities in exchange for exorbitant fees.

Insiders said that Zaini’s internal investigation has also unveiled a number of lower-ranking staff members who did the bidding of higher-ranking officials and they have come forward to name those who had given the orders.

The Vibes earlier reported that two ministry officers, including a head of department, had been sent to the civil servants “pool”, as approved by the Chief Secretary to the Government Mohd Zuki Ali.

Ministry’s lack of due diligence 

A source from the industry told Malaysiakini that among the issues that prompted the investigation was the lack of due diligence in the foreign worker quota approval process. 

“The scrutiny into the approval process was prompted by concerns about the treatment of Bangladeshi and Nepalese workers, who have faced unemployment since their arrival in Malaysia,” said the source.

The source further disclosed that the entire foreign worker division was under investigation, including the government-registered agencies involved in outsourcing workers. 

In March this year, Human Resources Minister V Sivakumar admitted that no checks were conducted before approving migrant worker quota applications.

Sivakumar, who could not be reached for comments, had also been quizzed twice last month by MACC officers investigating complaints into foreign worker recruitment after two of his officials had been detained by them.

Hundreds of workers rescued

The government relaxed conditions for migrant workers’ recruitment in January to address a labour crunch in critical sectors.

Although it was to end on March 31, it was suspended on March 18, after the ministry had issued 995,396 employment quotas. 

By April, over 200 workers who were found stranded and living in appalling conditions in Nilai, were rescued by the ministry. According to reports, this number has since increased to over 300 workers.

Such incidents highlight the need for stricter regulations and improved working conditions for migrant workers. The relaxed conditions also led to layoffs of local workers as employers seek cheaper migrant labour.

Foreign mission expresses concern

The Bangladeshi High Commission recently expressed concern about the lack of transparency in the recruitment of migrant workers in Malaysia.

Emphasising its reliance on the approval by the Malaysian authorities and that it was not able to independently verify the demand for employees, the High Commission said the lack of transparency has led to the unemployment of its citizens in Malaysia.

“It’s not possible for any country’s embassy to verify the demand for employees (migrant workers) by 100 percent. In this case, the embassy must depend on the approval of the Malaysian authorities,” it said.

It was reported that on Monday, about 120 Bangladeshi workers converged at the High Commission in Kuala Lumpur demanding answers and by Tuesday, they had all secured jobs, through the intervention of Human Resources Ministry.

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