At least two international associations have slammed the Putrajaya's new conditions for recruiting migrant workers, describing them as unrealistic, unfair, and potentially reviving a syndicate.

This comes after the government, through the Foreign Ministry, set 10 mandatory criteria for foreign agencies to supply workers to Malaysia.

The ministry sent a letter dated Oct 27, sighted by Malaysiakini, to embassies of source countries and requested their respective governments to submit a list of agencies capable of meeting all the conditions no later than Nov 15.

Among the conditions deemed controversial is that agencies...