Screen foreign workers’ mental health first - MEF

PUTRAJAYA - Mental health screening needs to be done on foreign workers who are about to be brought into the country so that there are no bigger problems once they are here.

Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) president Datuk Dr Syed Hussain Syed Husman however said that the existing foreign labour recruitment screening was sufficient and met the requirements of Human Resources Ministry.

"The ministry has set this procedure which the employer has incurred huge costs to fulfill," he said.

Syed Hussain noted that the majority of criminal cases involving foreign workers were not linked to workplace pressures but were often related to the individuals' personal issues.

"Sometimes the fights between them are related to money, girlfriends and so on, not work matters," he told Sinar.

Syed Hussain added if mental health screening was implemented, it could guarantee the status of foreign workers who were truly qualified to work in this country.

"It also reduces the risk to employers and other colleagues," he said.

He added some employers provided specialised clinics for their employees.

"There is a company that provides medical services where medical officers come to see the workers every week to make sure everyone is in good health," he said.