Let all licensed agencies recruit workers, urge 4 foreign associations

Four foreign recruitment associations have called on Malaysia's government to allow all licensed agencies to recruit foreign workers for the country. The associations from Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Pakistan urged Putrajaya to ensure access to Malaysia's Foreign Worker Centralised Management System (FWCMS) is fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory.

They expressed concerns about exclusive or preferential access for a limited number of private entities or recruitment agencies. Former Klang MP Charles Santiago questioned the move, urging the human resources ministry to disclose the criteria used to select the 25 Nepali agencies and their eligibility requirements. The associations called for clarification of the legal and institutional basis governing access to FWCMS and related recruitment processes, including the disclosure of eligibility criteria, selection mechanism, legal authority, contractual arrangements, scope of authority, and the relationship between the system operator and selected agencies.

They also demanded an impartial review and investigation into any arrangement that might prevent legitimate agencies from accessing recruitment opportunities equally and transparently.