Malaysia reopens labour market for Bangladesh
Recruit workers in transparent process
Malaysia plans to take at least 200,000 workers from Bangladesh this year. Besides, the country is also interested to take security guards and domestic workers from Bangladesh in the future. Their salaries will be RM 1,500 per month. Malaysia will also ensure their accommodation free of cost.
After three years of suspension, Malaysia is going to officially reopen its labour market to Bangladeshi workers. The country had suspended recruiting workers from Bangladesh in September, 2018 over allegations of malpractices in the recruitment process and high recruitment costs. However, this time Malaysia will select both the workers and the recruiting agencies according to Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two countries.
Malaysia only took online applications from the job-seekers. In this regard, the country has installed e-payment directly from the employers to the workers’ salary card account without keeping recruiting agencies in the middle.
We hope the country
will recruit workers in
a systematic way
maintaining transparency
Malaysia will bear most of recruitment charges, including airfare, visa and immigration. Earlier, the cost for a single worker for going to Malaysia used to be Tk 1,60,000. But this year, the amount will be much less. Malaysia will take stern actions if any recruiting agency breaches the rules while sending workers.
Malaysia will take a total of five lakh workers in the next five years from Bangladesh. But alleged malpractice by “a 25-agency syndicate” is affecting Bangladesh’s prospects in the Malaysian migrant market. The migration cost of workers increased several times due to intervention of the organised syndicates in the past. Those involved in the syndicate have laundered money in various countries, including Canada in the past.
Syndicates will try to increase immigration costs as before. We hope the country will recruit workers in a systematic way maintaining transparency. Therefore, basic rights and facilities, including decent accommodation and salary for the workers will be ensured.
