KUALA LUMPUR (July 28): The government will continue to use the Bestinet Sdn Bhd’s Foreign Worker Centralised Management System (FWCMS) until 2031, even though the National Integrated Immigration System (NIISe) is expected to be completed by 2028.
The FWCMS will “remain an intermediary platform between employers and the Immigration Department” until the end of its contract, according to the follow-up report by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on the system’s procurement.
FWCMS offers services such as foreign worker quota application, visa processing, and permit renewals.
As for NIISe, which will replace the current Malaysian Immigration System (myIMMs), it also covers foreign-worker management, on top of expatriate management, immigration control, as well as passports and travel passes, according to the Home Ministry.
In the follow-up report, the PAC said the “Home Ministry must always ensure there is no overlap [or] wastage of resources between the utilisation of FWCMS and NIISe.
Under the existing FWCMS contract, Bestinet is responsible for the development, supply, operation, and maintenance of the system.
The scope of work includes system design, infrastructure setup, software licensing, maintenance, helpdesk and support services, system upgrades, and training for technology transfer and change management.
Bestinet is also required to hand over the FWCMS to the government at no cost, no later than six months before the contract ends in 2031, the ministry added.
Bestinet won the FWCMS contract in September 2024, while HeiTech Padu Bhd (KL:HTPADU) announced in October 2024 that it won the NIIISe contract for RM892.2 million.
HeiTech, in which Zetrix AI Bhd (KL:ZETRIX)(formerly MyEG Services Bhd) has a 19.19% stake, will also continue maintaining myIMMs until February 2017, under a contract extension won in January this year.
Before NIISe came about, myIMMs was supposed to be replaced by a system named National Immigration Control System (SKIN), that was contracted to Awanbiru Technology Bhd (KL:AWANTEC)(then known as Prestariang Bhd).
The 15-year concession, awarded in 2017, was terminated in December 2018. Awantec went to court and secured a settlement of RM201.45 million from the government.