International Labour Organization statement on promoting fair and effective recruitment in Malaysia

The principle that all jobseekers, particularly vulnerable migrant workers, should not be charged recruitment fees and related costs is central to the concept of fair and ethical recruitment.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) global definition of recruitment fees and related costs was adopted at a Tripartite Meeting of Experts in Geneva in November 2018 and subsequently approved by the ILO Governing Body in March 2019. The definition establishes a comprehensive international standard, clarifying that recruitment fees and related costs ‘refer to any fees or costs incurred in the recruitment process in order for workers to secure employment or placement, regardless of the manner, timing or location of their imposition or collection.’ The ILO definition is widely recognised as the authoritative international benchmark. It has informed the development of national laws, codes of conduct and audit protocols across a range of governments and multi-stakeholder and industry-led initiatives, contributing to a fairer migration process.

The Government of Malaysia itself took an important step towards these international standards in 2021, when it signed a memorandum of understanding with the Government of Bangladesh that establishes a framework that facilitates the recruitment, employment, and repatriation of Bangladeshi migrants working in Malaysia. This included detailing the costs to be paid by the employer and the migrant worker – where employers are to pay for costs incurred in Malaysia including air fare.

Despite these good intentions, around 2023, reports started to surface about Bangladeshi workers arriving in Malaysia with valid work permits, only to discover that promised jobs were non-existent. In May 2024, the International Labour Organization (ILO), International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) expressed concerns over the plight of the affected workers and offered support to address the immediate needs of the migrant workers and to support the Government of Malaysia with reviewing the current labour migration system, drawing on international standards and good practices, and supporting constructive policy dialogue to develop a transparent and efficient labour migration process.

Meanwhile, partners have drawn our attention to the press statement of Lui and Bhullar dated 23 April 2026 with respect to Bestinet Sdn. Bhd and the FWCMS (Foreign Workers Centralized Management System), where it is claimed that the platform is “UN recognized” and that the platform is “recommended by International Labour Organization and “designed in accordance with the principles and policies of the International Labour Organization and the International Organization of Migration.”

To avoid any misunderstanding on these claims and to clarify the facts:

• The FWCMS is not a UN recognized platform. The official title of the award is World Summit Awards (WSA). The WSA is one of the activities of the non-profit organization International Center for New Media. While the WSA was initiated within the context of the UN World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) and is aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals, it is not an award issued by the United Nations. Hence the award while indeed bona fide, does not imply UN recognition.
• ILO provided preliminary comments at the proposal stage, as presented, in 2013. To quote from the comments: “On 10 April 2013, the Executive Directors of Bestinet provided a briefing at the ILO Regional Office in Bangkok on the Foreign Workers Centralized Management System (FWCMS). The ILO is interested to learn about any rights-based initiative that seeks to improve orderly labour migration flows and enhance protection for foreign workers in line with international standards, and is developed in consultation with social partners. The ILO found the Bestinet proposal to be well-presented, innovative, comprehensive and demonstrate a good understanding of some of the challenges faced in the effective management of labour migration. Beyond this, the ILO does not know of the credentials or competence of Bestinet to carry out the proposed system, and these comments should not be construed as an endorsement of the company.”
• These comments were made in relation to the initial concept/proposal and should not be taken as applying to, or endorsing, any subsequent implementation.

The International Labour Organization remains committed to supporting Malaysia to continue to improve its labour migration governance in alignment with international labour standards, including the ILO General Principles and Operational Guidelines on Fair Recruitment. In this regard, we stand ready to support a consultation, including tripartite participation from Malaysia and Bangladesh, to discuss issues and good practices and develop recommendations on demand-based and fair labour migration in the corridor.