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Ahmadul Kobir, Malaysia: Malaysia is tightening monitoring of foreign workers’ whereabouts by placing greater responsibility on employers to ensure that their workers’ residential addresses are accurate and up to date.
Effective Monday, September 7, employers will be required to register and verify the residential addresses of foreign workers in the Fomema system. Failure to confirm or update an address will prevent the completion of the worker’s health screening registration.
According to a notice published on Fomema’s website, employers and panel agencies must verify whether a foreign worker’s current residential address is accurate before completing the registration process.
If a worker has moved from the previously registered address, the new residential address must be updated in the system before the registration can be saved.
The new requirement means employers can no longer simply provide an address without confirming where a worker is actually living. An inaccurate or outdated address could disrupt the worker’s mandatory health screening registration.
Fomema said the measure was introduced to ensure that foreign workers’ information remains current and to strengthen the authorities’ ability to locate them when necessary.
The move comes amid longstanding concerns over the actual whereabouts of foreign workers in Malaysia. Some workers live outside accommodation arranged by their employers, while others move between workplaces or are employed through subcontracting arrangements.
Immigration enforcement operations have also uncovered cases in which foreign workers holding valid work permits were found working for companies other than those named on their permits.
Such situations can make it more difficult for authorities to determine a worker’s actual place of residence and employment.
The latest requirement appears aimed at closing this information gap by creating a more reliable digital record of where foreign workers actually live. Under the new system, employers will bear direct responsibility for ensuring that residential information is accurate and updated.
Fomema, the company appointed by Malaysia’s Health Ministry to conduct mandatory medical examinations for foreign workers, requires workers to register for health screening within 72 hours of entering Malaysia. They must subsequently undergo medical examinations at Fomema-approved panel clinics.
From September 7, verification of a worker’s residential address will form part of that registration process.
The new requirement is particularly significant for the large number of Bangladeshi workers employed across various sectors in Malaysia. If a worker changes accommodation, the employer or relevant panel agency will have to update the information promptly to avoid delays or complications in completing the health screening registration.
Fomema has made it clear that registration cannot be completed until the worker’s residential address has been confirmed or updated.
The new system therefore goes beyond the medical screening process. It is also expected to create a clearer and more reliable digital record of where foreign workers are actually living, while placing employers and panel agencies under greater responsibility to keep that information accurate and current.