KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 25 — Malaysia’s leading Chinese business group demanded today that employers be given a choice to apply for foreign workers’ permit over the counter, in addition to the recently made mandatory online renewal.

The Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM) claimed that several unannounced changes to the requirement for the approval process are placed to “coerce” them to use MyEG, a listed company contracted as an e-government service provider.

“At first, they said they will now open the counters until February 28.

“Suddenly, we were told that a company director must be present for the application to be accepted.

“This is victimisation from our point of view, obstacles put in our path to coerce us to go toward using MyEG,” said deputy secretary-general Tan Sri Teo Chiang Kok.

On January 5, the Immigration Department implemented the mandatory renewal of foreign workers electronically through the MyEG platform.

Employers were slapped with a service charge of RM38 per foreign worker on top of the RM125 processing fee to the Home Ministry.

Stakeholders were not consulted and no notice were given to businesses, ACCCIM claimed.

A total of 34 ACCCIM members were present at today’s news conference to voice their dissatisfaction with the programme.

Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association (MPMA) president Lim Kok Boon said the demands of the ACCCIM include maintaining all service counters at immigration offices.

He described the government’s move to make employers use only MyEG leads to a monopoly, which he said is against the Competition Act 2010.

“It is very important for us that if the government practises the mantra that the government is open and transparent, then the government should be the first to lead by example to make sure that all awards of such sorts must be an open bid,” he said.

He suggested an open tender for the online renewal foreign work permits online be opened for tender.

He also urged the government to leave permit renewal matter in the hands of the companies’ human resources instead of compelling company directors to physically attend to such administrative tasks.

He noted the application procedure called for a company director to be present when the service counters reopened on January 23.

Yesterday, The Star daily reported that managers are also allowed to do so now, but no mention was made of human resources personnel given the greenlight to stand in as well, as previously allowed.

Lim also said if the government is bent on using MyEG as the sole provider for this service, the RM125 processing fee to the Home Ministry should be eliminated as the ministry is no longer doing the work.

Employers should not be doubly charged, he said.

He said no inquiry has been made into MyEG programme to date for not announcing the award of this government project.

MyEG which is linked to two Umno leaders, announced last month of a 19 per cent hike in share prices.

In addition, ACCCIM also urged that human resources matter including those involving foreign nationals should be under the purview of the Human Resources Ministry, and not the Home Ministry.

“We call upon the government to review this current arrangement where the Home Ministry takes care of foreign workers.

“The Home Ministry should only be allowed to process and issue the visas upon the approval of MoHR by the companies to engage foreign workers,” Lim said, using the abbreviation for the Ministry of Human Resources.

(From left)Lim Kok Boon, Tan Sri Teo Chiang Kok and Davies Danavaindran expressed anger over change in foreign workers' permit approval and renewal procedure.