While human resources minister V Sivakumar had said his ministry would investigate the allegations in a series of reports on Malaysiakini, Santiago said a ministry-led probe would be a conflict of interest.
“A truly impartial inquiry is necessary to ensure the integrity of the process and the credibility of its findings,” he said in a statement.
“Given the multiple agencies involved, it’s critical that the investigation be led by a dedicated team under the Prime Minister’s Office.
“This will ensure sufficient political clout without interference from other departments or agencies with a stake in the outcome.”
Adding that the government must disclose the terms and scope of the investigation as well as its timeline, he warned that failure to effectively address the issue could damage Malaysia’s reputation and economy, which is heavily dependent on migrant workers.
Malaysiakini’s recent investigative reports revealed that a syndicate’s group of six companies obtained quotas to recruit 1,625 migrant workers by using fake documents, with the workers arriving in Malaysia to find no jobs waiting for them.
A group known as the Migrant Workers Right to Redress has also called on the human resources ministry and the home ministry to conduct an independent investigation into the issue, and for the council for anti-trafficking in persons and anti-smuggling of migrants (Mapo) to be parked under the PMO.
It said as the Mapo secretary is placed under the home ministry, the council would “naturally not have the bravery” to investigate home ministry officials involved in such allegations.
It also urged the Nepali and Bangladeshi embassies to investigate their own diplomatic and labour officers to find out how they had given attestation to fake job contracts in large numbers, and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to immediately investigate possible corruption throughout the country’s migrant workers recruitment chain.
The coalition also called on human rights commission Suhakam, Mapo and charities to immediately help provide logistics support, food, and lodging for the abandoned workers who have yet to find jobs.
The Migrant Workers Right to Redress coalition consists of groups such as Suhakam, Suara Rakyat Malaysia or Suaram, and Mapo, as well as migrant rights NGOs such as North-South Initiative and Tenaganita.