Page 88 - BPAReport

CHAPTER 7: NEXT STEPS AND ACTION PLANS.

1. The Independent Committee expects that all the recommendations for a revamp of the
national foreign workers management system (NFWMS) will be taken on board by the
Government and effectively implemented. The Committee believes the strategic framework
underlying the policies to reform the NFWMS is a comprehensive and holistic one.
Consequently, the Committee will stress that the government should refrain from an
implementation program that is partial in nature, by avoiding or delaying the difficult parts
that are likely to face resistance. If undertaken in this manner, the result is likely to be a
return to the current directionless and dysfunctional system. The failure to act and
demonstrate political will to fully implement the recommended reforms in its entirety is not
an option.

2. The Government must secure sufficient buy-ins from stakeholders, manage
effectively the stiff resistance and pushback from certain stakeholders and stay the course.
From the Committee’s interaction with a whole range of stakeholders, we are able to
determine that all stakeholders have high expectations that a comprehensive package of
policy actions and a new direction is needed for an effective management of foreign workers.
The Government is likely to face resistance from powerful vested interests, especially those
who have knowingly participated in profiteering, rent seeking, monopolistic and nontransparent
administrative arrangements at the expense of government, employers and
workers. Resolute actions would be needed to identify any wrong doings and to seek redress.

3. The Independent Committee is aware that a proper set up of the NFWMS to enable it
to be fully functional may likely require a protracted period of time. The Committee
underlines that immediate steps must be taken to work out an Interim Action Plan so that the
current disruptions to the continued and urgent needs of industry for foreign workers may be
eased and the production processes of the economy are not adversely affected.

4. Accordingly, immediate steps should be taken to bestow to MOHR sole responsibility
for the NFWMS. This will require immediate Cabinet decisions, including the reversal or
variations of previous decisions on responsibilities of other agencies in the area of foreign
worker policies.

5. It is especially important that a strong implementation team be established by MOHR
composed of knowledgeable persons and professionals experienced in foreign worker affairs.
As the most complex part of the exercise will be the building of the end-to-end integrated
online foreign worker application and approval system, ICT and systems programmers should
also be part of the team.

6. The government must provide the needed financial and human resources to launch the
new NFWMS which should generate enough momentum and critical mass (the “big push”
approach) to propel the accelerated development of the online system. At a later stage,
resources will also be needed to enhance enforcement capabilities and procedures.

7. In the interim period, policy measures must also be taken to facilitate the evolution of
the NFWMS to its end goal. For example, MOHR should unfreeze the currently frozen
service sectors and agree on mechanisms to add sub-sectors where labour shortages are
critical, e.g. in old age home care and palliative clinics. MOHR should also begin to establish

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