Starting November 5, Malaysia will replace the Foreign Worker Centralised Management System (FWCMS) with a new system for recruiting Nepali workers.
In a memorandum dated October 6, Bestinet Sdn Bhd, which manages the FWCMS on behalf of the Malaysian government, said recruitment would be handled through 25 Principal Recruitment Agencies (PRA) and 250 Associate Recruitment Agencies (ARA).
Under the new arrangement, new biomedical registrations will be processed through the 25 PRA, the company said.
Biomedical Registration Under the Current System Closes October 15
Bestinet has set October 15 as the final date for biomedical registration under the existing system.
Workers whose biometric registration has not been submitted and successfully recorded in the FWCMS by that date will no longer be able to register through the current recruitment system.
Biomedical registration services will continue, however. According to the company’s guidelines, workers can register through the new system, and registration will continue after November 5.
Existing Cases Must Be Completed by October 31
Medical centres and agencies have been instructed to finish outstanding procedures for cases being processed under the current system.
These include steps involving worker identification and biometric registration, medical examinations, laboratory tests, repeat examinations, medical reviews and corrections to personal information.
Bestinet has also directed medical centres to provide medical examination reports and test results by October 31, allowing VDR applications to be submitted for eligible workers.
PRA Training Scheduled for October 26
The new system is expected to become operational before November 5.
Bestinet has scheduled a training session for PRA on October 26 covering account registration and activation. Topics will include document preparation, registration procedures and how to use the new system.
The company’s memorandum says a PRA registration link will be shared on November 4. Recruitment through the PRA/ARA arrangement will take effect on November 5.
Bestinet Says It Will Not Approve Agencies
Bestinet said its responsibilities under the new system would be limited to running the recruitment platform and providing technical support and training.
It clarified that registering with the system or activating an account does not amount to approval by the Malaysian government.
The relevant Malaysian government authority will remain responsible for approving recruitment agencies and VDR applications.
The company has also urged agencies and medical centres to retain workers’ information, prevent duplicate registrations, and refrain from charging additional fees or requiring new medical examinations solely because the recruitment system is changing.
Nepal Opposes the New System
The new arrangement is being introduced amid a dispute between Nepal and Malaysia over the recruitment of Nepali workers.
Nepal has objected to Malaysia’s plan to channel recruitment through a limited group of PRA and their associated companies. It says this could allow those companies to dominate the market and set prices as they wish.
Nepal’s government has also investigated the 25 PRA and the 250 companies linked to them. Nepal maintains that every agency licensed in the country to recruit foreign workers should have an equal chance to recruit workers for Malaysia.
Malaysia has gone ahead with the new system, saying the decision was made in line with a Cabinet decision.
The transition is therefore likely to affect both manpower companies and workers who have been preparing to travel to Malaysia under the existing system.