[Malaysia] Unified system for expatriate recruitment process

From June 15, Malaysia’s visa application system for foreign workers and professionals will be integrated into the Xpats Gateway system, a single window approach (SWA) intended to ease the recruitment process, The Malaysian Reserve reports.

The country’s Economic Minister Rafizi Ramli said the move will facilitate a faster recruiting process with less bureaucracy and the process of streamlining will be done in stages.

For the first stage, Talent Corp Malaysia Bhd will reportedly enhance the development of the existing Xpats Gateway system. It requires all parties directly involved in expatriate management to streamline and manage the administration process through it.

“Previously, the involves parties in the process are working separately with multiple processes, but starting June 15, they will have their own system, and all the private agencies just need to go through the system for the process,” the minister said, following the special task force meeting.

Minister Rafizi stated that the second stage will involve the approving agencies and regulatory agencies such as Malaysia Digital Economy Corp Sdn Bhd and Iskandar Regional Development Authority in order to integrate them through the application programme interface that will be fully operational on August 15.

“Two months are given for the preparation process among agencies to migrate their process before the unified system will come into force,” he said.

The economic minister said the new system will also ensure the application process in the Tier 1 and Tier 2 working sectors and other important sectors will be shortened and processed within five working days.

In addition, Pemudah will reportedly implement the shift from a headcount-based to a performance-based method for cleaning industry contractors; 75 per cent of this workforce consists of foreign workers.

“Not only that, among the challenges for the contractor involved in this tender regardless of private or public is a condition to recruit as many workers as up to 300. Consequently, when there were no locals interested, they had to hire foreign (workers),” he said.

The minister said this condition discourages incentives in the cleaning sector particularly in the use of technology compared to other sectors that have already been evaluated based on performance.

The implementation is reportedly part of efforts to transition the cleaning and washing industry from labour-intensive and low-skilled industries to industries that are highly skilled and technology-based.

“For this to happen, we need to move from headcount based on performance-based,” he added.

Minister Rafizi said contractors can evaluate performance based on their creativity but must comply with certain criteria including productivity improvement plans, innovation and technology, in addition to operational criteria, price, quality and work record.

He said a pilot project will be carried out in selected areas so that the contractor can begin to implement a performance-based method and identify where to invest in equipment and using less manpower as well as attracting more local workers.

“The success of the pilot project will pave (the) way for government and private contractors to expand the method to other agencies as well,” he said.

Source: The Malaysian Reserve

(Quotes via original reporting)

From June 15, Malaysia’s visa application system for foreign workers and professionals will be integrated into the Xpats Gateway system, a single window approach (SWA) intended to ease the recruitment process, The Malaysian Reserve reports.

The country’s Economic Minister Rafizi Ramli said the move will facilitate a faster recruiting process with less bureaucracy and the process of streamlining will be done in stages.

For the first stage, Talent Corp Malaysia Bhd will reportedly enhance the development of the existing Xpats Gateway system. It requires all parties directly involved in expatriate management to streamline and manage the administration process through it.

“Previously, the involves parties in the process are working separately with multiple processes, but starting June 15, they will have their own system, and all the private agencies just need to go through the system for the process,” the minister said, following the special task force meeting.

Minister Rafizi stated that the second stage will involve the approving agencies and regulatory agencies such as Malaysia Digital Economy Corp Sdn Bhd and Iskandar Regional Development Authority in order to integrate them through the application programme interface that will be fully operational on August 15.

“Two months are given for the preparation process among agencies to migrate their process before the unified system will come into force,” he said.

The economic minister said the new system will also ensure the application process in the Tier 1 and Tier 2 working sectors and other important sectors will be shortened and processed within five working days.

In addition, Pemudah will reportedly implement the shift from a headcount-based to a performance-based method for cleaning industry contractors; 75 per cent of this workforce consists of foreign workers.

“Not only that, among the challenges for the contractor involved in this tender regardless of private or public is a condition to recruit as many workers as up to 300. Consequently, when there were no locals interested, they had to hire foreign (workers),” he said.

The minister said this condition discourages incentives in the cleaning sector particularly in the use of technology compared to other sectors that have already been evaluated based on performance.

The implementation is reportedly part of efforts to transition the cleaning and washing industry from labour-intensive and low-skilled industries to industries that are highly skilled and technology-based.

“For this to happen, we need to move from headcount based on performance-based,” he added.

Minister Rafizi said contractors can evaluate performance based on their creativity but must comply with certain criteria including productivity improvement plans, innovation and technology, in addition to operational criteria, price, quality and work record.

He said a pilot project will be carried out in selected areas so that the contractor can begin to implement a performance-based method and identify where to invest in equipment and using less manpower as well as attracting more local workers.

“The success of the pilot project will pave (the) way for government and private contractors to expand the method to other agencies as well,” he said.

Source: The Malaysian Reserve

(Quotes via original reporting)