The Great Foreign Worker Quota Scam

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[1] Its beyond incredible that a few intrepid reporters from Malaysiakini have been able to do what the entire machinery of government has been incapable of doing – uncover one of the most egregious scams involving foreign workers.[1] Just think about it: they have done what the police, the MACC, the Immigration Department, the Home Ministry and the Human Resources Ministry combined were not able to do!
Dennis Ignatius
[2] Of course, we’ve known for quite some time now that all is not right with the foreign workers recruitment scheme. Reports abound of hapless, abused and abandoned workers while business leaders complain bitterly about not being able to meet their manpower needs. Talk to almost any small business owner and they’ll tell you stories about how they struggle to find labour while a few well-connected cronies grab hundreds of quotas and resell them.
[3] Indeed, judging by the almost constant reports in the media, it is clear that corruption runs wide and deep throughout the whole system. Thus far, no one in power seems to have had the courage or integrity to put an end to these dastardly and nefarious scams. I supposed we shouldn’t be too surprised given the staggering amounts of money to be made from this criminal enterprise.
[4] Every time some scam, some scandal is uncovered, the government immediately goes into a song and dance – expressing outrage and promising to act to end the abuses. Talking about the Malaysiakini exposé, the Human Resources Minister Steven Sim – the man ultimately responsible for managing the migrant worker quota system – warned of “stern” action and pledged to “permanently blacklist” those involved in abusing migrant worker quotas. He also appealed to those who have information about such abuses to contact his ministry.[2]
[5] I cannot think of a more feckless and feeble response to an issue of such magnitude. How many times have we heard such inane responses in the face of great crimes and great abuses? How much more information does the minister need to convince him to clean up the system once and for all? One would have thought that in the face of such outrageous criminality, the entire machinery of government would rise up as one to bring every last one of the criminals and corrupt officials involved to justice instead of merely promising to blacklist them “if there is a violation.”
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