MORE STRINGENT CONDITIONS FOR OUTSOURCING COMPANIES

By Sajad Hussein

PUTRAJAYA, May 19 (Bernama)-- Stringent measures have been put in place to
ensure outsourcing companies dealing with foreign labour do not bring in
excess workers and flood the local market, Human Resources Minister, Dr.
S. Subramaniam, said Tuesday.

"These companies would now have to justify their request to a special
committee at the ministry before they are given the green light to obtain the
required permits," he told Bernama.

Subramaniam said the companies also have to show concrete prove that the
workers had guaranteed jobs once they arrive here.

"Once the committee is satisfied that the company has met all conditions,
only then it would give the green light for the issuing of the permit to the
Home Affairs Ministry," Subramaniam added.

Previously, permits were issued on the strength of letters from local
manufacturers and industries needing workers. There was no proper vetting by
competent authorities.

This system had resulted in thousands of workers being brought into the
country but abandoned by their outsourcing agents.

These workers, according to the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) had
been forced to look for jobs themselves while some even turned to petty crimes
to survive.

At present there are 266 registered outsourcing companies dealing in
foreign labour.

Subramaniam said the government has not put a blanket freeze on the
importation of foreign workers.

Permits are still issued "on a case to case basis" for workers in
certain industries in the plantation and construction sectors and even in some
services sector, he added.

At present, there are 2.2 million legal foreign workers and another
800,000 illegal workers.

More than 200,000 of them have already left for their country of origin
after completing their contracts here, Subramaniam said, adding that the
government's policy now was to balance the need for foreign workers and the
requirement of local industries.

"Although our policy is Malaysian workers first, but in instances where it
is difficult to get them, then there is no choice but to allow companies to
import foreign labour," he said.

Meanwhile, MTUC's Vice President, A. Balasubramaniam, while welcoming the
new measures, felt that local employers were still not making "sincere efforts"
to attract local workers.

"We receive numerous complaints from locals about poor work conditions which
make them reluctant to work in such establishments.

"Our investigations show that some of these errant employers do this on
purpose so that they can employ cheap foreign labour," he added.

Balasubramaniam reiterated MTUC's stand that the issuing of permits for
foreign workers be taken over by the Human Resources Minstry because they had
the expertise and experience in dealing with labour issues.
-- BERNAMA