Bangladeshi workers pay up to RM30,000 for jobs in Malaysia: Former minister
“Sometimes the promised jobs are not ready. Sometimes workers are brought in beyond the actual demand. And when this happens, they are left with no work, no income, and no support,” she said.
Bangladeshi workers pay up to RM30,000 (over Tk8 lakh) just to secure a job in Malaysia, Zuraida Binti Kamaruddin, former Minister of Plantation and Commodities of Malaysia, said at an event in Dhaka today (23 November).
"I also learned more about the recruitment process in Bangladesh. Many of these workers come from poor, rural backgrounds. They are often not well educated, and unfortunately, many fall victim to exploitation by recruitment agents, village leaders, district officers, and middlemen," she said in a session titled "Migration, Morality and Politics of Compassion" on the second day of the 'Bay of Bengal Conversation'.
"Some pay up to RM30,000 just to secure a job in Malaysia. To afford this, they sell their homes, their land, or take huge loans. They arrive here with the hope of changing their families' lives. But when they land in Malaysia, they are again vulnerable," she said at the event organised by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS).
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The former Malaysian minister further said, "Sometimes the promised jobs are not ready. Sometimes workers are brought in beyond the actual demand. And when this happens, they are left with no work, no income, and no support."
"Very recently, around 700 to 800 Bangladeshi workers had to be sent home with no job and no pay. This is unacceptable. These are human beings, not commodities," she added.
Over the years, Malaysia has become home to more than two million Bangladeshi workers, she said.
Their presence is felt across many sectors — plantations, construction, manufacturing, services — and even in our communities.
Many enterprising Bangladeshi migrants have opened their own businesses, catering to the needs of this large community.
Speaking about the plight of Bangladeshi workers, Zuraida said, "This is why, when I served as housing minister, I pushed for reforms to ensure better living conditions for all foreign workers. Previously, there were no proper guidelines. Workers lived in cramped, unsafe, and unhealthy conditions."
Among others, James Angelus, president, International Security Industry Council Japan; Karori Singh, emeritus fellow, South Asian Studies Center, University of Rajastan; and Mustafa Osman Turan, former Turkish ambassador in Dhaka, also spoke at the event. Narayan Adhikari, South East Asia lead, Accountability Lab, Nepal was the moderator.
