FMM president Jacob Lee said doing so would not only minimise opportunities for abuse or manipulation, but also enhance traceability, accountability and auditability across the recruitment value chain.

“Such an approach would be consistent with environmental, social and governance principles, international best practices and Malaysia’s broader digital government and governance reform agenda,” he said in a statement today.

Lee said proven models for transparent and ethical recruitment systems already exist in South Korea, Singapore and other countries with labour shortages, balancing employer needs with worker protection.

“There is no need for Malaysia to start from scratch. The development of a fair, structured and ethical foreign worker recruitment system is well within reach,” he said.

On Wednesday, The Star reported human resources minister R Ramanan as saying his ministry was formulating a pathway for Malaysian employers to directly hire foreign workers to eliminate third-party agents or middlemen from the recruitment process.

He said the involvement of third-party agents in foreign labour recruitment has been a persistent issue in Malaysia, as it exposes workers to exploitation, including debt bondage and elements of modern slavery.

Lee also called on the government to provide greater clarity on the system that will be used to facilitate the direct hiring process under the government-to-government framework.

“Clear rules, standardised procedures and transparent timelines are essential to ensure ease of use, fairness, predictability and cost efficiency for employers, while safeguarding worker welfare,” he said.