PUTRAJAYA: A system to monitor wage payments to foreign workers and also centralised accommodation will be made available, in a move seen to improve management of foreign workers, says the Human Resources Ministry.

       Its minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan (pic) said his ministry proposed the implementation of eWages as a salary monitoring system.

       “This was agreed to by the Cabinet during its meeting on Jan 12. The eWages initiative will be implemented soon to monitor prompt payment of wages to foreign workers,” he said in a statement yesterday.

       Saravanan said while it had been compulsory for employers to fully comply with the Workers’ Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act 1990 as a mandatory requirement to employ foreign workers, the ministry has another initiative planned on housing.

       “We are in the midst of planning to regulate and introduce centralised labour quarters (CLQ) within a span of five years for an effective and coordinated supervision of foreign workers,” he added.

       In December, Saravanan said that his ministry had approved 628 CLQs nationwide to accommodate 90,256 foreign workers.

       Another 360 CLQs are in the planning phase to accommodate 31,500 foreign workers.

       The issue of foreign labour management in Malaysia had received attention of late, especially after several local companies were subjected to the export ban imposed by the United States Customs and Border Protection Department (US CBP) over allegations of forced labour practices.

       According to reports, this was the seventh such ban imposed by the US CBP on a Malaysian company in two years.

       Saravanan pointed out that the ministry was responsible to safeguard and protect workers’ rights including adherence to labour laws, terms in contract of employment and other matters related to employment such as annual leave and payment of wages.

       On cooperation with source countries for foreign workers, the minister said that to date, the ministry had signed memoranda of understanding with 10 source countries since 2003 and was currently finalising the MOUs that had expired.

       The ministry inked an MOU with Bangladesh in November last year.

       “The conclusion of the MOU on Indonesian domestic workers (PDI) is in the pipeline after getting the official nod from Cabinet on Feb 23,” said Saravanan.