Syndicate fears return as Malaysia selects 25 Bangladeshi recruiting agencies

Malaysia has selected 25 Bangladeshi recruiting agencies to facilitate the recruitment and deployment of workers, raising concerns over a possible return of the controversial limited-agent system as the two countries prepare to reopen the labour market after more than two years. 

The names have been published on Malaysia's Foreign Workers Centralised Management System (FWCMS), which will be used to manage the recruitment process.

Shariful Islam, public relations officer of the Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry, told TBS that recruitment of Bangladeshi workers will be conducted through the FWCMS.

When Malaysia reopened its labour market to Bangladeshi workers in 2022, it had initially selected 25 agencies before expanding the list to 100. Allegations of excessive recruitment fees and irregularities later emerged, with critics blaming the limited-agent system for creating a syndicate.

A major section of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies has demanded that the Malaysian market remain open to all eligible agencies.

The latest development comes after the government revoked the licences of 49 recruiting agencies in July over their alleged involvement in the previous Malaysia recruitment syndicate. 

Moreover, a court had accepted a chargesheet against the agencies in a human trafficking case involving allegations of excessive fees and financial irregularities.

The government had fixed the maximum migration cost for Malaysia at Tk78,990 but workers reportedly paid substantially higher amounts.

Nearly 450,000 Bangladeshi workers travelled to Malaysia under the previous arrangement. Allegations of overcharging and exploitation eventually contributed to the suspension of recruitment.

Malaysia's labour market for Bangladeshi workers has remained closed since June 2024. The two countries have recently agreed to resume recruitment, with Bangladesh expecting workers to start travelling to Malaysia from the last week of August.

The selection of 25 agencies has therefore raised questions over whether the new arrangement will ensure an open and transparent recruitment process or lead to another limited-agent system.

Ensuring transparency, keeping migration costs within the approved limit and preventing the re-emergence of a recruitment syndicate will be key challenges as the market reopens.

The selected agencies are Bangladesh One Overseas Ltd, Bengal Human Resources Development, General Trading Company, M/S United Gulf Services, Annesa Air International, Att-Taqwa Overseas Ltd, Earth-Smart Bangladesh Ltd, Khan Jahan Ali Overseas, M/S Al-Shupto Overseas, Motherland Overseas Ltd, Rifa International, Vely Trade International, A-Plus International, Al-Hayat Overseas, Bhaluka Overseas, Brothers Trading & Contracting Ltd, Chandpur International, Country Employment Agency, Goodness Services Limited, Jewel Rinku Enterprise, M/S Satkhira International, Mangrove Career Link, Neighbour Associates Ltd, Tania Trade International and The Anchor Care Global Migration.