Calling the report unverified and inaccurate, he said it contained details that were not known even to him as the minister responsible for tabling any proposal to the Cabinet.

“It is shocking to me that they seem to know more about the proposed system than I do. I have not tabled anything to the Cabinet, yet they are able to explain it in detail,” he said during a dialogue session with the Concorde Club at Wisma Bernama here.

A Bloomberg report had claimed that the software would allow companies to recruit foreign workers directly without intermediaries that charge high fees.

Ramanan also rejected claims in the report that the system would charge companies US$1,000 (RM4,700) per worker application.

“That figure is totally false. I have consistently stated that the government is moving towards zero migration cost. It is ridiculous to suggest otherwise,” he said.

He questioned the basis of the report, saying neither he nor the relevant ministries had been contacted for clarification.

“Even if they could not get a response, it does not justify publishing unverified information,” he added, describing the report as irresponsible and unethical.

Ramanan said Bestinet had been operating in Malaysia since 2011 and provided the Foreign Workers Centralised Management System, which was used by several ministries, including the home ministry and human resources ministry.

He said the system had proven effective, including withstanding cyberattacks during the Covid-19 pandemic without any breaches, and had also received international recognition, including an award from the United Nations.