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Audit report: Poor health screening on foreign workers from 2016 to 2018

The report said that 21,378 foreign workers failed to comply with the policy stipulating quota application for first-time levy payment, which should be paid at the Home Ministry’s foreign workers management unit. — Bernama pic
The report said that 21,378 foreign workers failed to comply with the policy stipulating quota application for first-time levy payment, which should be paid at the Home Ministry’s foreign workers management unit. — Bernama pic

IPOH, July 15 — The 2018 Auditor-General’s report today revealed that enforcement on foreign workers was inefficient when it comes to issues pertaining to quota approval, Bio-medical health screening and Foreign Worker’s Medical Examination (Fomema).

The report stated that from 2016 to 2018 around 22,901 foreign workers were employed under the freeze sub-sector, which had directly impacted job opportunities for locals.

The report also said that 21,378 foreign workers failed to comply with the policy stipulating quota application for first-time levy payment, which should be paid at the Home Ministry’s foreign workers management unit.

“Instead, the levy payments were done at 10 different locations such as at the enforcement unit, Visa, Permit and Pas unit or at the Immigration Department,” the report said.

The report also pointed out that around 84,672 foreign workers who are expected to enter the country have done a screening at their source country without following proper procedure.

“They have conducted Bio-medical health screening even before going through the Immigration Security Clearance (ISC) screening.

“Out of that number, 1,708 had failed the ISC screening while 2,849 Chinese immigrants have done Bio-medical without doing ISC screening,” the report added.

The auditor’s report also said that 11,361 foreign workers failed to do Fomema within 30 days upon entering the country.

“In addition, 41,607 workers out of 1.53 million foreign workers have failed Fomema despite 17,520 of them has initially passed Bio-medical screening from their source country,” the report explained.

The auditor’s report advised that the Home Ministry and Human Resource Minister to review the Dirty, Dangerous and Difficult (3D) working sectors by providing greater incentives in order to reduce the dependency on foreign workers.

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