PAPSMA positioned itself as an alternative to FWCMS in recruiting local and foreign workers

SHAH ALAM - The National Association of Private Employment Agencies Malaysia (PAPSMA) has urged the government to utilise their expertise in the recruitment process of foreign and local workers.

PAPSMA Secretary-General, Dr Sukumaran Nair insists that his association is a good alternative to the Foreign Workers Centralized Management System (FWCMS), which is operated by Bestinet Sdn Bhd.

"We request and suggest to the Human Resources Ministry and the Home Affairs Ministry to include us as an alternative for employers to use our services through the present FWCMS system currently being used for approval to recruit foreign workers into all sectors.

"PAPSMA assures that we can collaborate and facilitate with the employers, especially the inexperienced, to recruit the right skilled workers for the right industry for the Malaysian market," he said.

Dr Sukumaran mentioned that there is a need for Malaysia to improve in outsourcing of business processes, especially in the area of foreign recruitment, or the country might lose its potential in all areas of the economy.

In addition, he said that the employers need their expertise with their search for the right human skills and talents especially when it comes to foreign migrant recruitment where they lack the expertise, network and understanding of the culture of the country of origin in and the ecosystem within the supply chain in the human capital market.

"No agents will be used to bring in foreign workers, as employers will have to recruit workers directly to eliminate the issues of abuse by these agents," he said.

"PAPSMA urges the Human Resources Ministry to look into our plight seriously as we want to perform and apply our expertise and knowledge in this area of business following the terms and underlying conditions approved in our license.

"We are a legal identity with cash bonds deposited into the government ministry’s coffers and yet finding it difficult and even belittled in the eyes of the general employers who are looking for our services in the recruitment of workers, especially in the area of foreign migrant workers," he said in a press statement on March 14.

On March 10, Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan announced 200,000 applications for Bangladeshi foreign workers and will be allowed to work in all sectors after the vetting process is complete.