BATU GAJAH: The government is looking for the best mechanism to allow employers to hire foreign workers without using the services of recruitment agencies.
Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar said that the ministry was looking into this issue seriously and that efforts were being made to ensure agencies did not make excessive profits.
"We will find the best mechanism how they can deal directly to ensure that they (employers) do not have to bear high costs before they (foreign workers) come to this country," he said.
Sivakumar said this at a press conference after attending the 5th Malaysia Rail Academy (MyRa) at Academy Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) here today.
Also present were Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Hasbi Habibollah and KTMB chief executive officer, Datuk Mohd Rani Hisham Samsudin.
Efforts are being made to ensure that foreign workers are not exploited by any party to gain high profits, he said.
"Last week, the Home Ministry visited three sources of foreign workers' countries namely Nepal, Indonesia and Bangladesh to discuss this matter and we are looking for the most effective ways to overcome this issue.
"Yesterday, the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) told those wanting to hire foreign workers to apply directly instead of using the services of recruitment agencies," he said.
Yesterday, Anwar called for the practice of using agents to recruit foreign workers to be stopped due to the high costs involved in using these agents, which he said was tantamount to "modern slavery".
"For example, for (workers from) Nepal, the cost is only RM3,700. But (workers from) Bangladesh and Indonesia cost between RM20,000 and RM25,000 (to be recruited)," Anwar told reporters after chairing a cabinet meeting yesterday.