KUCHING, Jan 15 — The Sarawak government’s Foreign Workers Transformation Approach (FWTA) system officially comes into effect today, amid concerns by industry representatives particularly regarding the fees involved.
Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department (Labour, Immigration, and Project Monitoring) Datuk Gerawat Gala said a series of engagements had been held with industry representatives leading up to the government’s decision to implement the system.
“It is more efficient in terms of the speed of turnaround time for processing work permit applications, and it’s very transparent. It enables immediate access to non-resident workers’ data, which can be checked online by enforcement agencies.
“FWTA will also centralise data for all non-resident workers, which is crucial for manpower planning in Sarawak,” he told The Borneo Post when contacted yesterday.
“The new system aims to streamline the work permit application process for faster approval and better transparency and effective enforcement.”
The FWTA is an online digital application designed for processing work permit applications of non-resident workers.
Gerawat said while the fees have been finalised, he did not have the figures immediately at hand.
The Borneo Post had previously reported several proposed charges that will take effect with the implementation of FWTA.
These include RM950 per person for Approval in Principle, RM335 per person for the Labour Licence, and RM215 per person for the Visa with Reference.
Additionally, there will be a charge of RM30 for each registration with the Sarawak Foreigners Health Information System (Safhis).
This system serves as a centralised platform for managing foreign workers’ medical data in compliance with the Sarawak Health Department.
The RM30 fee covers the registration process, including arranging appointments with panel doctors registered under the system.
Once the new system is implemented, each worker will also receive a Foreign Worker Identity Card, which costs RM324 per person.
All in all, the total additional cost per worker amounts to RM1,854.
It is learned that the JobSarawak portal will replace the MYFutureJobs portal currently used for recruiting foreign workers.
A letter dated Jan 10, 2025 from the State Secretary on the implementation of the FWTA sighted by The Borneo Post also stated that ‘laporan pengambilan pekerja’ (LPP) from the MyFutureJobs portal will still be considered until April 30, 2025.
“This takes into account employers who are not yet aware of JobSarawak, those who have not been trained to use JobSarawak, or employers who have not completed their registration on JobSarawak.
“From May 1, 2025, only LPPs from JobSarawak will be accepted as supporting documents for Approval in Principle applications within the Sansols (Sarawakian and Non-Sarawakian Online Labour System),” the letter stated.
It is understood that there will be an official launch for the system next month.
Last month, an industry source said that the high implementation charges could impose a significant financial strain on businesses.
The source said under the previous system, the Approval in Principle (AP), labour licence, and Visa with Reference (VDR) were all free.
“However, after the system is implemented, there will be charges of RM950 per person for AP, RM335 per person for the labour licence, and RM215 per person for the VDR,” said the source.
On Safhis, the source said they currently arrange for workers to be checked at their own panel clinics, paying only the medical check-up fee.
Regarding the Foreign Worker Identity Card, the source said that under the previous system, workers do not have an identity card.
From a company perspective, the source expressed concern over the additional costs.
“Currently, we are only paying for the medical check-up fee, permit fee, and levy for work permits, but now we will have to pay an additional RM1,854 per worker. If we have many workers, this will significantly increase expenses for companies.
“The system is good, but the charges are too high. What we would prefer is for the charges to be reduced.
“Every government department is moving towards digitisation, which is a good direction. We just need the charges to be reduced so that it doesn’t burden businesses,” said the source. — The Borneo Post