KUALA LUMPUR: More non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have joined the growing calls for the government to carry out reforms in the processes and procedures involved in the hiring of foreign workers in the country.
Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) made the call in the wake of the second arrest involving an aide to Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) today to facilitate investigation into the migrant workers hiring quota approvals.
C4 deputy chief executive officer Sudhagaran Stanley urged the government to seriously consider doing away with using third parties in the recruitment process.
"The government needs to completely do away with using (recruitment of) migrant (workers) agencies or third-party in the recruitment process and instead engage in direct government-to-government consultations.
"This will ensure unscrupulous parties will not be able to benefit (from the weaknesses in the recruitment process)," Sudhagaran said in a statement today.
He also called on the government to introduce reform to the immigration department in order to eradicate corruption in the hiring of foreign workers.
In the past, Sudhagaran said the country had witnessed cases where even immigration officers were involved in facilitating crimes of trafficking and illegal entry.
"Agents do all the dirty work of bribing ministry officials, politicians and decision makers to allow the entry of immigrants into the country. A complete overhaul of the system is needed and we are aware that the government is already working on this," he said.
Sudhagaran nevertheless stressed that the migrant recruitment process in the country had long been tainted with serious issues of corruption and human trafficking.
"We need to know who is involved, who is benefitting (from the weaknesses of the system). All those involved must be brought to justice," he said.
It was reported that the MACC had arrested another aide to Sivakumar to facilitate its probe over approval of foreign workers' hiring quota.
It is learnt that the aide, who is a private secretary to the minister, was arrested today when she was summoned to the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya to have her statement recorded.
MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki when contacted confirmed the arrest.
It was also learnt that the woman would be remanded until Monday.
The woman's arrest came a day after the graft busters nabbed one of Sivakumar's aides alongside another individual on Wednesday.
The first arrest took place when the MACC raided the ministry's office on April 13. It is understood that the commission is now focusing on the involvement of other individuals within the ministry and other related agencies.
The crackdown by the MACC has generated calls for the government to enforce improvements in the hiring of foreign workers.
Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) president Dr Muhammad Mohan wanted to go after key players responsible in order to nip corruption in the bud.
Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) president Datuk Dr Syed Hussain Syed Husman said the process of hiring foreign workers in the country had long been tainted since it was considered a "lucrative business" among irresponsible parties.
