Saifuddin, Sim discuss ‘way forward’ in managing migrant workers

PETALING JAYA: Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and human resources minister Steven Sim met yesterday to discuss the “way forward” in managing migrant workers in Malaysia.

This comes after 171 Bangladeshis were arrested in Pengerang, Johor, on Dec 20 after taking part in a march to lodge a police report against their agents for failing to secure jobs for them as promised.

Saifuddin said their meeting focussed on the shared scope of migrant worker management, acknowledging that foreign exploitation was a “hot” and serious issue.

“We also discussed the way forward for 2024, involving improvements that can be made in the management of migrant workers in Malaysia.

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“Several other matters were discussed and we have agreed to issue a joint statement this week to explain certain queries that have arisen,” he said in a Facebook post.

The case involving the 171 Bangladeshis led to renewed calls for the human resources ministry to wholly manage the intake and management of foreign workers instead of the home ministry.

Although the case fell outside the jurisdiction of the human resources ministry, Sim had told FMT that his ministry “will aid the Bangladeshis on humanitarian grounds”.

The minister also said his ministry would summon the employers mentioned in the foreigners’ document and the agents involved to assist them in the investigation later this week.

In October, a now-declassified 2019 report by an independent committee on foreign worker management revealed that the human resources ministry was best suited for the role as it was already responsible for determining the country’s labour market needs.

Sim had said he would hold discussions with the home ministry on having one ministry take responsibility for matters related to foreign workers.

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