The International Labour Organization said on 2026-05-12 that it does not support or endorse Bestinet Sdn Bhd's Foreign Workers Centralized Management System, and denied claims that the platform has official recognition from the United Nations. [1, 2]
The ILO said its positive comments on the proposed system were made during the proposal stage in 2013, after Bestinet executives briefed its regional office in Bangkok on April 10 that year. The agency said those remarks described the proposal as well presented, innovative and comprehensive, but should not be read as support for Bestinet or for later use of the system. [1, 2]
"The FWCMS is not a UN recognised platform," the ILO said, adding that "these comments should not be construed as an endorsement of the company." [1]
The agency also said the World Summit Award linked to the system was issued by the International Center for New Media, not by the UN. Source material from the other account said the system received the award in 2017, while both accounts agreed the award was not directly issued by the United Nations. [1, 2]
FWCMS has been used for migrant worker recruitment to Malaysia since 2018, especially for workers from Bangladesh. [1]
The ILO's latest clarification came as the dispute over the system's status continued. One account said the agency's 2013 remarks related only to the original concept or proposal and did not cover later implementation, while another said Bestinet's lawyers claimed the Malaysian government approved the concept after an ILO Bangkok office recommendation in 2012. [1, 2]
