MRP for expat workers in a shambles

ONE wonders what power is behind the Malaysian firm IRIS that has allowed it to get away with all sorts of failings in meeting its part of the contract in issuing machine readable passports to our expatriate workers. In fact they have been able to provide only ten percent of the total 1.5 million MRP issued so far.  

The seriousness of the matter was such that the PM herself was compelled to constitute a high powered committee with the PM's principal secretary as its head in February to address a matter of serous concern that affects the future of three million of our overseas workers. We are surprised at the helplessness of the various committees that have been unable to take action against a contractor for failing to meet its contractual obligations. The Malaysian firm has disregarded the repeated reminders of the government to hasten its performance. But why did the government not initiate punitive action against the defaulting firm sooner instead of making so many entreaties? What is the reason behind giving a defaulting contractor repeated chances knowing fully well that either it has no intention or it has no capacity to fulfill its obligation? 

Such a situation that has the potential of jeopardising the job of nearly three million of our workers abroad, because of an errant supplier defaulting with impunity, cannot be allowed to continue. Not only must the government take legal action against IRIS immediately, it must also right away seek alternative means to provide MRP to our workers abroad before the deadline of November 2015.