The Malaysian government has unveiled plans to roll out a new digital recruitment platform that will enable employers to hire foreign workers directly, effectively eliminating the role of private recruitment agents that have traditionally dominated the process.
According to Economic Times, the announcement was made by Malaysia’s Minister of Human Resources, Datuk Seri Ramanan Ramakrishnan, who said the initiative is designed to reduce recruitment costs, prevent exploitation of migrant workers, and enhance transparency in the country’s foreign labour system.
Ramakrishnan noted that heavy reliance on intermediaries has exposed foreign workers to excessive recruitment fees, debt bondage, and practices resembling modern-day slavery.
“This issue has been raised repeatedly in Parliament and widely reported in the media. We want to address and remove the problem of middlemen,” he said, as quoted by The Malaysian Reserve.
He explained that many foreign workers are required to pay exorbitant recruitment fees even before leaving their home countries, often forcing them to take loans that leave them indebted upon arrival in Malaysia. In some cases, workers are also assigned jobs that differ from what was initially promised.
The minister added that long-standing concerns raised by lawmakers and civil society groups over recruitment abuses prompted the government to pursue a decisive shift away from the agent-driven hiring model.
How the Platform Will Operate
Under the proposed system, Malaysian employers will be able to engage directly with prospective foreign workers through a centralised online platform.
Key details such as job roles, wages, and employment terms will be clearly stated and agreed upon before contracts are finalised, helping to minimise misrepresentation and abuse.
The platform is expected to simplify the recruitment process, lower costs, and strengthen oversight of foreign labour hiring in Malaysia.