PETALING JAYA: Employers that treat their foreign workers well should have nothing to fear in the proposal to penalise companies that exploit them, says Plantations and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani.
Johari said it is pertinent for the government to act swiftly in addressing the prolonged issue of foreign workers being deceived about job opportunities.
He said this in reply to the Malaysian Manufacturers Federation president Tan Sri Soh Thian Lai’s objection to the proposal to fine RM30,000 per person to companies that failed to provide jobs to their workers.
“The manufacturers federation cannot point fingers because agencies cannot apply for quotas without first getting demands from companies.
“If there is proof that agencies are using fake documents to artificially increase the quota asked for, then the agencies would be fined heftily.
“Again, I stress that companies which do not exploit the recruitment process will not be fined and should not be worried,” he said in a statement on Saturday (Jan 6).
The Titiwangsa MP said the proposal was meant as a deterrence against unscrupulous parties from exploiting the system.
He added that the proposed fines are commensurate with the offences committed and would also cover the costs of repatriating the foreign workers, which are currently borne by the government.
Johari said it is also crucial that the recruitment processes for foreign workers be further tightened by only approving companies of such quotas when they apply to hire them.
“The issue here is there’s a possibility that some companies are asking for quotas of foreign workers without having any opening for jobs….they are just trying to make money by selling quotas to other companies.
“This is deemed as human trafficking or forced labour. Any agencies or employers that are not involved in such practices should not be worried about being fined by the authorities,” he added.
Johari said companies that submitted an application for the foreign workers’ quota needed to ensure that jobs were readily available in the country.
The former second finance minister said foreign workers who ended up without jobs upon arrival in Malaysia had become a major burden on the country’s resources.
“More often than not, these poor workers cannot afford to go back to their country and end up soaking up resources in terms of subsidies and healthcare, besides also creating other social problems,” he said.
Johari made the proposal on Wednesday during the Cabinet meeting and said the issue had been impacting all sectors, including the plantation sector, which is facing a labour shortage.
Johari said he was compelled to present the proposal following reports on Dec 25 on the detention of 171 Bangladeshi workers who were detained when they turned up at the Bayu Damai police station in Kota Tinggi, Johor to lodge a report against their agent who allegedly failed to provide them with jobs.
