KUALA LUMPUR (July 6): The management of the one-stop centre (OSC) for foreign workers has been placed under the Ministry of Human Resources following a Cabinet decision on July 1.
The move is part of government efforts to ensure the governance of foreign worker quota applications is implemented effectively and to avoid disruptions to industries dependent on foreign labour, Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R Ramanan said at a press conference on Monday.
Following the transition, his ministry will roll out a series of digital reforms aimed at streamlining foreign worker quota applications and reducing administrative bottlenecks.
Under the new arrangement, quota applications will be processed through the eQuota module under the Foreign Workers Centralised Management System (FWCMS).
Ramanan said the system, which is integrated with existing government databases, will improve processing efficiency, reduce congestion at the OSC, and allow employers to schedule structured interview appointments based on the centre’s capacity.
“So there will be no more case-by-case basis. You don’t have to travel from other states to Putrajaya to apply for your foreign worker quota,” he said.
WATCH: HR Ministry takes over foreign worker management centre
The ministry will begin by processing 22,476 quota applications involving 548 companies that were previously submitted manually.
“These applications will now be processed through the FWCMS platform. We will also notify employers to complete their registration in the system before submitting their applications,” he said.
The FWCMS is the government’s digital platform for managing foreign worker recruitment and is developed by Bestinet Sdn Bhd, a company founded by labour industry figure Datuk Seri Aminul Islam Abdul Nor.
The system has previously faced controversy, including allegations by Bangladeshi authorities of “fraudulent extortion” involving workers from the country.
Addressing concerns over the transfer, Ramanan stressed that placing the OSC under his ministry does not diminish the Home Ministry’s authority over national security matters.
“If the Home Ministry has security concerns over any application, it retains the power to reject or override approvals,” he said.
Ramanan also announced that his ministry will establish a dedicated foreign worker management division to oversee OSC policy, operations and enforcement functions.
As part of longer-term reforms, the ministry is studying the introduction of an online document verification system to replace physical counter services at the OSC.
He added that his ministry’s senior management is finalising details of the transition in consultation with the Home Ministry and other relevant agencies.