ALL third parties appointed to assist in the implementation of the Foreign Worker Tracking Application (FWTA) project, including FWTA Sdn Bhd, were selected strictly in accordance with established procurement procedures and remain subject to audit and oversight by the relevant government authorities, the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) was told today.
Minister in the Premier’s Department Datuk Seri John Sikie Tayai said the Sarawak government remained committed to transparency, accountability and good governance in implementing the FWTA system.
“Through clear procedures, structured oversight mechanisms, and continuous regulatory scrutiny, the State ensures that all processes, from fee imposition and system implementation to third-party appointments, are conducted in an open and responsible manner in compliance with established rules and procedures,” he said in his ministerial winding-up speech during the DUN sitting today (May 18), in response to concerns raised by Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong regarding fees imposed under the FWTA system.
Sikie said the government’s commitment underscored its dedication to maintaining public trust while delivering efficient and integrity-driven public services.
He explained that the FWTA project is implemented through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, with all capital development and operating costs fully financed by the private sector.
“By pairing government oversight with private sector innovation, the Government aims to deliver world-class services without straining public finances,” he said.
He added that revenue generated through the platform is reinvested into critical infrastructure, including Immigration and Labour Integrated Centres, e-Know Your Customer assets and cybersecurity systems, without burdening taxpayers.
On the service fee of RM1,854 (RM2,002.32 inclusive of SST), Sikie said it was based on the “user-pay” principle and had undergone due diligence by relevant State agencies before receiving State approval.
“This principle ensures that industries benefiting from foreign labour bear the ecosystem and regulatory oversight costs, rather than shifting the financial burden onto the general taxpayer,” he said.
He also noted that the fee structure was comparable to practices adopted nationally and internationally, citing processing charges imposed by Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) and work permit fees in the United Arab Emirates.
Sikie stressed that the fee was not merely for processing documents such as labour licences and visas, but also covered end-to-end service delivery costs, including maintaining statewide digital infrastructure and enabling real-time workforce data collection for policy planning.
Meanwhile, he said the FWTA system had achieved several milestones since its implementation in 2025, including successful integration with the Immigration Department of Malaysia’s MyIMMs system and PERKESO’s MYFutureJobs platform.
The government, through ILMU, has also conducted 16 industry update sessions across Sarawak since 2023 in collaboration with agencies including the Labour Department of Sarawak, Immigration Department, Department of Health Sarawak and PERKESO.
In addition, six outreach programmes were carried out in divisions such as Sibu, Miri and Bintulu, where mobile service teams visited remote work locations to provide services to employers and foreign workers.
Sikie also highlighted the launch of JobSarawak by the Premier during the state-level Labour Day celebration on May 10.
Since its rollout on Jan 15, 2025, the digital talent platform has recorded 21,000 registered job seekers and more than 18,000 active vacancies statewide.
