Established in 2005, the OSC was made to process, interview, and approve complete employer applications on the same day.

Published today, the report added that ePPAx, with a development cost of RM19.39 million, had not been optimally utilised as its use had been limited to determining the quota of foreign workers for which an employer is eligible.

“Additionally, all 12 modules of the Foreign Workers Centralised Management System were only used for one source country, namely Bangladesh, compared with the allowed 15 source countries.

“There are also weaknesses in the system’s implementation management, such as unsigned agreements, undetermined government rights, and unclear methods and implementation directions,” said the report.

The report added that all 14 modules under ePPAx were completed late, with 11 of those 14 modules not being used.

It suggested that the human resources and home ministries engage in discussions and decide which party takes full responsibility for the foreign worker management system.

Recently, job seekers from countries such as Bangladesh have found themselves stranded without jobs upon arrival, due to recruitment agencies and companies misusing government quotas and licences for hiring foreign workers.

In May, around 600 Bangladeshi workers came into the country through four different companies in the belief that they would receive jobs as housekeepers in Genting Highlands.

However, they were not given jobs on their arrival and instead found themselves cooped up in poor accommodation without pay for months.

They took the matter to the Bangladesh High Commission, which said the Malaysian labour department is responsible for ensuring the legal rights of all domestic and foreign workers.

A representative of one of the companies later met with an official at the high commission and agreed that they would arrange jobs for the workers and pay them one month’s salary within 10 days.

The labour department has meanwhile promised to act against such errant agencies and companies.