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Recurring operational gaps in Malaysia’s manufacturing sector pushed OSADI to evolve from recruiter to ecosystem partner. Ken Wooi, General Counsel, explains how compliance, accountability, and integrity became the foundation of a scalable workforce model.
This article is brought to you by OSADI Group Of Companies.
When OSADI Group Of Companies – an ethical workforce ecosystem – first began supporting manufacturers in Malaysia, the team noticed a pattern: the same operational issues kept recurring. As Ken Wooi, General Counsel (pictured above) recalls, manufacturers did not only need a recruiter. They needed someone who could take responsibility from the moment a worker was hired until the day they left the plant.
The challenge, he explained, was fragmentation. Recruitment was handled by one party, training by another, dormitory operations by a third, and transport elsewhere. Compliance often rested solely with HR teams, even though agencies were involved earlier. The result was finger-pointing, miscommunication, and clients having to manage the gaps themselves. This was the turning point for OSADI.
“We decided – let’s build a full ecosystem,” Wooi says.
The goal was to have one accountable party, one workflow, and one standard. This structure aimed to provide stability for clients and clearer processes for workers.
“We didn’t do it because it was trendy,” he adds. “We did it because the industry really needed it.”
Embedding compliance into daily operations
For many global manufacturers, compliance is tied directly to business outcomes. Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) expectations, responsible business alliance (RBA), and labour transparency influence decisions such as whether new production lines are awarded.
As Wooi affirms, OSADI treats compliance not as a reactive exercise but as part of daily operations. Its system includes zero-fee recruitment that is verified through RRP-OTL (Responsible Recruitment Project-On The Level), Act 446-compliant housing, proper documentation and traceability, as well as a team dedicated to managing RBA, Validated Assessment Programme, and customer audits from start to finish. The aim is to help clients improve their audit results, reduce risks, and strengthen confidence in growing their business in Malaysia.
Ethical recruitment as a system
Ensuring workers are treated fairly from the start is an essential part of compliance. For OSADI, ethical recruitment is a practical extension of compliance and a key factor in maintaining accountability and worker trust.
Ethical recruitment is a system, not a slogan.
For OSADI, ethical recruitment must be supported by controls.
“Talk is cheap. Anyone can say they are ethical,” Wooi states, adding that what matters is the system behind the claim.
To this effect, OSADI's approach includes no sub-agents, zero-fee recruitment, briefings for workers in their native languages, independent verification, fee integrity checks, continuous monitoring, and regular internal audits. Wooi shares that these measures have contributed to zero recruitment-fee findings since 2018.
A semiconductor case that demonstrated impact
The experience of a semiconductor client offers a clear example of OSADI’s integrated model in action. The company faced multiple issues at once, including high turnover, audit challenges, dormitory problems, and complaints from workers.
OSADI proposed managing the entire ecosystem. This included taking over recruitment, developing Act 446 compliant housing, improving transport arrangements, refining the onboarding process, establishing grievance channels, and placing an on-site team.
Within a year, retention improved, audits were passed, absenteeism dropped, workers felt more supported, and the client’s operations stabilised.
Partnerships focused on building local talent
Beyond operational support, OSADI collaborates with partners who share the goal of developing local talent. Their partnerships bring in different forms of training and exposure:
- Beyond4 introduces digital skills relevant to new-tech manufacturing.
- PSDC provides structured industrial training.
- K-Youth enables OSADI to support Malaysian youths, particularly those from B40 backgrounds, to build careers in multinational companies.
Together, these initiatives help prepare workers for future industry needs while supporting Malaysia’s broader talent agenda. These efforts reflect OSADI’s broader philosophy of responsible growth, where building systems and partnerships goes hand in hand with maintaining ethical standards.
Scaling with integrity
As we learn through this interview with Wooi, “scaling with integrity” means growing without shortcuts. Integrity, he stresses, involves doing the right thing even when unobserved.
In practice, this includes not engaging fee-based recruiters, investing in proper housing directly, conducting independent third-party fee audits, maintaining clear onboarding and grievance systems, meeting CSR, ESG, Act 446, and client standards, as well as building internal capabilities rather than outsourcing responsibility.
Integrity protects our clients and protects the workers who depend on us.
OSADI Group helps Malaysia’s top manufacturers grow responsibly through ethical recruitment, compliant accommodation, and transparent HR outsourcing.
The team believes doing things right isn’t just moral and ethical, it’s scalable as well.
For more information on its services, visit https://www.osadi.com.my or call 019-4170168.
Lead image / HRO
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