Migrasi Pekerja Asing di Malaysia:Pembaharuan Dasar ke Arah Perlindungan dan Pendigitalan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37134/perspektif.vol17.1.8.2025Keywords:
broker, FWCMS, migrasi buruh, pekerja asing, pendigitalan, perlindunganAbstract
Sejak 2010, Malaysia telah melaksanakan beberapa pembaharuan untuk melindungi kebajikan pekerja asing. Kajian ini menyingkap dua pembaharuan dalam merombak semula proses pengambilan dan pengurusan pekerja asing iaitu penamatan syarikat penyumberan luar dan pendigitalan sistem permohonan pekerja asing. Kajian ini meneliti dua persoalan kajian: 1) Bagaimanakah kerajaan mengimplementasikan dasar pengambilan pekerja asing tanpa orang tengah? 2) Apakah implikasi perubahan dasar kepada industri pekerja asing? Pembaruan ini penting kerana ia menangani isu seperti eksploitasi pekerja asing oleh ejen, perhambaan hutang dan pemerdagangan manusia. Kos pengambilan pekerja asing menjadi lebih murah apabila peranan orang tengah dihapuskan dan proses pengurusan pekerja asing didigitalkan. Pendigitalan menghapuskan penglibatan pihak ketiga atau broker, menghalang ejen daripada mengenakan kos pemprosesan yang tinggi dan memudahkan proses pengambilan. Kajian ini mengunakan metodologi kajian kualitatif berdasarkan analisis dokumen. Analisis ini berasaskan rekod Hansard, laporan rasmi organisasi antara kerajaan, kenyataan akhbar oleh organisasi bukan kerajaan, media massa dan bahan sekunder. Kajian ini mendapati bahawa pembaharuan dalam polisi pengurusan pekerja asing di Malaysia mempunyai dua implikasi. Pertama, ia menunjukkan usaha kerajaan untuk mengeluarkan elemen perniagaan daripada industri perekrutan. Kedua, ia menunjukkan peralihan daripada tindakan penguatkuasaan kepada usaha untuk menjaga kebajikan dan perlindungan pekerja asing.
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