Dhaka-KL Joint Working Group Meeting TodayMalaysia considers reopening labour market, but with conditions

The resumption of the Malaysian labour market for Bangladeshis depends on how Bangladesh responds to the conditions placed by Kuala Lumpur at the third round of the Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting scheduled to be held today in Dhaka.

A source at the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, claiming not to be named, said that the 13-member delegation, which has reached Bangladesh, may raise the issues at the meeting at the InterContinental Dhaka at 10:00 am.

The issues were also reportedly presented during the visit of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul to the Southeast Asian country.

“We heard that Malaysia imposed some conditions – speedy solution of human trafficking and money laundering cases, reducing migration costs and abolishing the associate agency system. Now, it is up to our ministry. If it accepts the conditions, the market will open, otherwise, things would be difficult,” the source told reporters.

The Malaysian government will also decide whether the market would be opened for all or certain agencies, the source said, adding that “Malaysia can find it difficult to deal with many agencies at a time. Our stance is clear. We want equal opportunities for all.”

Denying the possibility of signing a new deal, the source said a few provisions of the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) would be modified as it is valid till next year. However, Dhaka will certainly focus on the reopening of the market.

Gazi Md Shahed Anwar, deputy secretary of the Employment Wing at the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, also said their priority is to resume the market.

“We will prioritise resumption of the Malaysian labour market. Our second priority would be to send 17,000 workers who could not go to Malaysia even after completing all necessary formalities,” he said.

He, however, ruled out the possibility of imposing any conditions by the Malaysian government.

“I have not heard anything in this regard. Our adviser went to Malaysia to discuss the market reopening. He can explain the matter,” Shahed Anwar added.

Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul could not be reached over the phone. His personal secretary and the ministry’s Deputy Secretary Md Sarwoer Alam said he is not entitled to make any comment on this.

On 23 April, Azman Mohd Yusof, secretary-general of Malaysia’s Ministry of Human Resources, asked Bangladesh to withdraw the allegations of human trafficking and money laundering involving labour migration to the Southeast Asian country.

“Allegations of human trafficking and money laundering — largely unsubstantiated — have impacted the Malaysian reputation,” he wrote, according to a Bloomberg report published recently.

Meanwhile, ahead of the JWG meeting, a section of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) leaders stated their support of ensuring opportunities for all agencies to send workers to Malaysia.

Fakhrul Islam, former joint secretary general of BAIRA, expected that the government would show firm determination against the syndication system practised by the previous regime.

“Our adviser has asked the Malaysia government to offer all recruiting agencies the opportunity to send workers. I hope our adviser will remain strong in his stance. The interim government has no way to continue a flawed system introduced by the fascist Awami League,” he said.

He urged the government to reform the MoU, if necessary, to prevent syndication, create opportunities for all recruiting agencies and protect Bangladeshi workers from deception.

Earlier, BCSM, a platform of 23 repetitive organisations that work on migration, also issued a statement to ensure accountability and transparency while reopening the market.

Migration experts opine that Bangladesh cannot expect a different result by repeating past mistakes.

“If the Malaysian government does not bring any change in its Foreign Workers Centralised Management System and offers opportunity to the same recruiting agency owners who were involved in syndication, the corruption and irregularities will never end,” Shariful Hasan, associate director (Migration and Youth Platform) at BRAC, said.

“Every time Malaysia opens its labour market, a syndicate controls everything and deceives our workers. Then the country closes its door but reopens it allowing the same syndicate to send workers. This cannot continue. The Bangladesh government must take a stance,” he added.

According to sources, Malaysia has expressed interest in recruiting around 1.2 million workers from 14 countries, including Bangladesh. Among them, more than 20,000 workers will be able to go for free of cost.

Over the past 16 years, Malaysia’s labour market has been shut down for Bangladeshis at least four times.

Last time it was closed on 31 May 2024. Every time, various allegations of syndication, irregularities, corruption and bribery have surfaced, but no agency owner involved in it has even been brought to book.

Some 8,98,970 Bangladeshis are currently working in Malaysia, according to official estimation of the Malaysian government, though many sector insiders said the actual number is much more than this. This is the highest number of foreign workers in the Southeast Asian country after Indonesians and Nepalis.

Malaysia is the fourth highest remittance sending country to Bangladesh.