
Charles Santiago said the government should start developing its own system and have complete control over it, adding that Putrajaya was capable of doing so.
“And a timeline should also be established (as to when the government will be able to do so), which should be made public so it can be monitored to provide a clear picture to employers,” the former Klang MP from DAP told FMT.
Santiago was asked to comment on the government’s decision to extend Bestinet’s contract. Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, however, did not provide details about the duration of the contract.
Previously, Bestinet, the IT system provider for the recruitment of workers from all source countries, had a six-year contract with the home ministry to develop, supply, provide and maintain the Foreign Workers Centralised Management System (FWCMS). It ended on May 31.
The 2022 Auditor-General’s Report, which was released last year, revealed that there was no signed agreement between the government and Bestinet, while Malaysiakini reported that the FWCMS had numerous weaknesses that made it susceptible to manipulation.
Earlier today, CNA reported that Bestinet would be required to surrender control of its FWCMS under a new agreement that would see its contract renewed for another three years.
Bestinet must hand over to the government its Swift code and alphanumeric ciphers used by banks around the world for the international transfer of funds, among others.
Santiago called on the government to provide details of the agreement.
“Businesses would want to know.”
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