In a statement issued by its solicitors Lui & Bhullar today, Bestinet said while it acknowledged the ILO’s clarification that it did not formally endorse the FWCMS, it should not be “misconstrued in a manner that diminishes the significance of FWCMS’s international recognition, including through the World Summit Awards (WSA)”.
“Bestinet’s position has always been clear – the FWCMS design philosophy has been grounded in internationally recognised principles consistently championed by the ILO and other international bodies.
“Bestinet’s references to such alignment relate to the system’s design philosophy and governance objectives, and have never been intended as a representation of formal ILO endorsement,” it said in a statement.
On Tuesday, the ILO denied Bestinet’s claim that the FWCMS is recognised by the United Nations, saying that the award the platform received in 2017 was not given by the global intergovernmental organisation.
It said while the recognition was given by the non-profit International Center for New Media at the UN World Summit on the Information Society, it was not issued by the UN. “The award, while indeed bona fide, does not imply UN recognition,” it said.
Last month, Lui & Bhullar said the FWCMS received the United Nations World Summit Award in 2017, describing it as global validation of the system it developed and operates.
The firm also said the system’s design and governance framework were developed in line with the principles and policies of the ILO and the International Organization for Migration, another UN agency.
Lui & Bhullar said today that the award remains significant, describing the WSA as a respected international platform aligned with the UN’s sustainable development goals.
It also stressed that the FWCMS had undergone years of scrutiny and engagement involving multiple Malaysian authorities, and was subjected to processes involving cybersecurity, data protection, operational integrity and enforcement-related requirements.
“FWCMS was specifically designed as compliance and governance infrastructure to address systemic vulnerabilities that have long existed within cross-border labour recruitment processes,” it said.
The firm said that Bestinet is prepared to participate constructively in any consultation by the government and other labour-sending countries.
It also warned against “selectively quoting” or taking the clarification out of context to “create false or misleading impressions” regarding the company, its platform or personnel, and said it would take appropriate action where necessary.