[ad_1]
KUALA LUMPUR: Identity theft, the use of intermediaries and “special” applications for the supply of foreign workers were some of the problems uncovered during an investigation by Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) into the hiring of foreign workers.
“The PAC found that the approvals granted for special applications were higher than the approvals for applications made through the normal process.
“This is an unhealthy practice and is not in accordance with the original intention to tighten the qualification process for the quota of foreign workers,” said PAC Chairman Wong Kah Woh (Photo) he said on Tuesday (Nov 24).
He noted that the use of “special” applications for foreign workers was also made in sectors where there was a freeze for foreign workers.
He said that the use of intermediaries in the application process had also rendered the existing application system ineffective.
Wong added that the PAC also uncovered incidents of identity theft used to create bogus quotas for foreign workers through the Department of Immigration’s MyIMM system.
“A total of 20 police complaints have been filed since 2017, but to date, investigations are still pending,” he said.
He said that weaknesses were also discovered in the medical evaluation process of the Medical Examination Monitoring Agency for Foreign Workers (Fomema), where permits were issued for foreign workers even though the workers did not pass the evaluation.
“This will lead to a risk of spreading infectious diseases among the local community,” he added.
Wong said the bipartisan committee recommended that the government make several improvements to address the shortcomings.
Among them was the implementation of an integrated system between the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Human Resources to manage data and the entry of foreign workers.
He said ministries should also ensure that the application process is done through the ePPAx and MyIMMs systems.
“Special requests should only be made based on appeals based on merit or that involve national projects,” he added.
Wong said the PAC also recommended that the use of intermediaries in the application process with the Interior Ministry be stopped.
“We recommend that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigate the role of the intermediary in the application process,” he added.
The investigation of the PAC began in July last year based on the weaknesses identified by the 2018 Auditor General’s Report.
The investigations involved the committee that called several high-ranking officials to testify, including a visit to the Lenggeng Immigration Depot in February this year.
[ad_2]
