Latest news with #ForeignWorkersMedicalExaminationMonitoringAgency
New Straits Times
12-05-2025
- Health
- New Straits Times
NST Leader: Of syndicates and sick foreign workers
Syndicates are getting into new "businesses". One such is getting sick foreign workers to bypass medical checks by engaging stand-ins with fake passports. Fearing the potential of the unfit workers spreading diseases in the country, doctors are beginning to speak up. We do not know how long this dangerous pursuit has been going on, but it is time that the authorities stepped up enforcement. The most effective way to prevent sick foreign workers reaching our shores is to tackle the problem at the point of origin by placing the onus on the home country to send only fit workers. We can do this through a memorandum of understanding with the foreign governments. Another effective way to keep Malaysia safe from sick foreign workers is for our embassies to appoint clinics in the source countries to ensure that workers go through medical exams before they are allowed to board the plane. When they reach Malaysia, they must take another medical exam. Here the Foreign Workers Medical Examination Monitoring Agency (Fomema) has an important role. It begins with the appointment of the right clinics for the job. The owners of the clinics and the doctors who work for them must be vetted thoroughly. Private clinics run by errant doctors are not unheard of. Greed or threats from syndicates can thin the integrity of such medical professionals. Take greed. When Covid-19 hit our shores, going places required MySejahtera digital vaccination certificates. With many clinics' business hit by lockdowns, some doctors decided to give integrity a pass. One such was a Health Ministry approved clinic in Gombak, Selangor, that was alleged to have issued 5,600 people with digital vaccination certs without injecting even a single one of them. They were charged RM500 for each cert. Earlier the clinic was reported to have charged RM3,000 but later reduced it to RM500, Berita Harian reported in January 2022. The clinic might have continued its illegal service if not for its viral WhatsApp messages promoting its fraudulent trade. If this takes vaccine fraud to an unheard of level, consider what a doctor running a private clinic in Marang, Terengganu did. He not only did not administer the vaccine but didn't issue them the MySejahtera cert. Instead, he issued them fake printed vaccination certs, allegedly for RM400 to RM600. Police told the media then that he sold 1,900 fake certificates. Sadly, Selangor and Terengganu weren't the only states where errant doctors were running clinics; the disease was national. Clinic audits are another, which Fomema is said to be stepping up. One way the agency is doing this is through its internal data management and verification systems. It also has in-house medical officers trained to be alert to inconsistencies. As the doctors in the clinics have admitted to this newspaper, there are times when a few slip through. Checking the checkers is critical to ensure a secure and reliable screening process. Finally, inter-agency coordination, especially between the Immigration Department and Fomema needs to be stepped up, too. Biometric fingerprint verification system at clinics is a must to ensure that only genuine passport holders make it to the medical exam.
New Straits Times
10-05-2025
- Health
- New Straits Times
Fake passports and 'stand-ins' help sick foreign workers bypass health checks
KUALA LUMPUR: Foreigners, believed to be linked to a syndicate, are allegedly helping other foreigners looking to work in Malaysia bypass stringent health checks aimed at protecting local workers and communities from diseases. Several general practitioners, who spoke to the New Straits Times on condition of anonymity, said they were concerned that unfit workers were being absorbed into the workforce, increasing the risk of the spread of infectious diseases like tuberculosis. Foreign workers are required to undergo mandatory health checks at clinics before they can begin working in Malaysia — a process overseen by the Foreign Workers Medical Examination Monitoring Agency (Fomema). In the past, it is understood that these "stand-ins" would help unfit foreign workers by undergoing the health check on their behalf using the applicant's real passport. However, this fraudulent attempt was easily detected, as clinic assistants and doctors could see that the stand-ins looked different from the applicants in their passport photos. Now, the stand-ins are reportedly using fake passports, where the details match those of the applicant, but the photo is of the stand-in. The stand-ins must use the real details of the unfit worker, as they are required to show both the passport and a Fomema form at the clinic. While the Fomema form includes the foreign worker's details, it does not contain a photo. "We get a number of these cases each month," said one doctor who runs a private clinic. "They will use a passport from an Indochina country, but one look at them and you can tell they are from a South Asian country." The doctor also noted that sometimes the applicant's age, as stated in the passport, did not "make sense". "The passport will say they were born in the 1960s, but it's impossible. They look young and fit." Doctors can spot and decline stand-in health checks based on clear red flags, such as incorrect passport details, mismatched faces, or the applicant's inability to answer basic personal questions like their date of birth. However, some stand-ins are well-prepared and come equipped with high-quality fake passports. "These passports look and feel real. They are not like the old types with a fake photo pasted over another, which you could peel off," one doctor said. "In such cases, clinics do not have the expertise or authority to tell if it's fake and reject them." Another doctor in Selangor said he had seen "several cases" in the past few months. "There was one case where the passport number on the first page was different from the number on the other pages. "There was also one stand-in who could not answer what his date of birth was." The doctor said these foreigners were turned away and a report was lodged with Fomema. "But these are only the ones we can detect. For those who come prepared, we cannot report them as there are no grounds to do so." He added that he reports dubious cases only to Fomema and not to the authorities for fear of reprisal. "If action is taken against them (stand-ins), they will know which clinic reported them. It is dangerous," he said. The doctor voiced concern that unfit workers who bypassed health checks could spread infectious diseases to others.
New Straits Times
10-05-2025
- Health
- New Straits Times
Fomema stepping up clinic audits, biometric checks
KUALA LUMPUR: The Foreign Workers Medical Examination Monitoring Agency (Fomema) says it is aware of syndicates helping unfit workers bypass medical checks. "We take these matters very seriously," said Fomema chief executive officer Dr Afiq Farhan Md Hanif. He said such cases were either detected through Fomema's internal systems or reported via credible feedback from the public or employers. Impersonation and the use of falsified documents, such as fake passports, he said, undermined the integrity of the foreign worker medical examination process and compromised public health safeguards. Fomema, he added, worked closely with enforcement authorities to facilitate investigations into fraudulent practices. "We maintain regular engagement with panel service providers to enforce strict identity verification procedures during the medical examination process. "In cases where a suspicious identity is detected, we immediately work with the clinic to verify the information and escalate the matter to the authorities." If a suspected false identity is reported, Fomema will block the medical submission. "We will notify the Immigration Department and the individual will be required to complete an online identity verification process. Fomema has a dedicated platform for this," Dr Afiq said. If the identity is confirmed to be false, the individual will be disqualified from the medical examination and must repeat the screening at a different designated clinic, under stricter scrutiny. "In such cases, Fomema may escalate the matter to enforcement authorities for further action." This close cooperation, he said, helps ensure that irregularities are swiftly addressed. Checks and Balances Dr Afiq said Fomema's internal data management and verification systems played a vital role in maintaining the integrity of medical examinations. "All submitted medical examination results are reviewed and verified by our trained in-house medical officers, who are alert to inconsistencies in the submitted data. "Suspicious findings, including irregular test results or potential identity mismatches, are flagged for further investigation." He said this process serves as a critical safeguard against malpractice and reinforces Fomema's commitment to a secure and reliable screening process. Fomema also has a dedicated team that conducts ground inspections to ensure panel clinics adhere to standard operating procedures (SOP). Clinics found to have violated SOPs will be investigated, potentially leading to the suspension or revocation of their panel status. "We remain committed to upholding the highest standards of accuracy, accountability, and public trust," said Dr Afiq. Strengthening Processes Dr Afiq said Fomema is actively strengthening its processes to ensure the correct person undergoes the medical examination. "Some of the key measures implemented include cross-checking data via Fomema's online portal with Immigration Department records to prevent registration using falsified documents." All panel clinicians are also required to verify the identity of each foreign worker by inspecting their original passport. Fomema, he added, also works closely with the Immigration Department to integrate biometric fingerprint verification at clinics. "This is to further verify the identity of the foreign worker, ensuring that the individual at the clinic is indeed the genuine passport holder." He said Fomema actively engages with panel clinics and other partners to raise awareness of cases involving falsified identities. "While Fomema is not the authority responsible for verifying passport authenticity, we take a proactive approach by sharing real cases detected through our systems or reported by the public and employers.
