Hopes revive for reopening Malaysian labour market to Bangladeshi workers

There is new hope to reopen the Malaysian labour market for Bangladeshi workers under the new government, following a closure of around two years amid massive mismanagement and corruption allegations against a recruiting agency syndicate.

Both countries have agreed to expedite the reopening of the labour market based on Malaysia's sectoral needs, while committing to a fair, ethical, and transparent recruitment process, according to a joint press statement issued today (9 April), following a bilateral meeting on labour migration in Putrajaya, Malaysia.

The process includes addressing structural challenges to reduce intermediaries and migration costs, utilising credible and qualified recruitment agencies, as well as establishing measures to quickly facilitate the recruitment of remaining stranded workers, the release said.

The development comes after a 100-agency syndicate allegedly exploited thousands of crores of taka and failed to send around 18,000 workers to the destination before a deadline of May 2024.

However, sector insiders expressed fear about the revival of the old syndicate of agencies as the process of sending workers has been proceeding under the previous MoU, which gave authority to the destination country to choose eligible agencies.

At yesterday's meeting, the Malaysian delegation was headed by Human Resources Minister Ramanan Ramakrishnan, while Bangladesh was represented by Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury, accompanied by Prime Minister's Adviser Mahdi Amin.

Following the meeting, the Bangladesh delegation also met Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who extended an invitation to the Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to visit Malaysia at a mutually convenient time.

Legal cases on human trafficking discussed

Ariful and Mahdi arrived in Malaysia on Wednesday, marking the first visit to discuss the labour market since the new government took office in Bangladesh.

Following the ministerial-level meeting, the joint statement said Malaysia informed Bangladesh of its initiative to introduce a technology-driven, AI-based recruitment system applicable to all source countries. This system aims to minimise intermediaries, reduce costs, and ensure that employers bear the full recruitment fees.

This aligns with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) "Employer Pays Principle", effectively resulting in zero costs for workers. Bangladesh expressed its full support and readiness to collaborate on this digital platform.

Both sides discussed concerns regarding ongoing legal cases related to human trafficking in worker recruitment. The Malaysian side emphasized the need to address any unfounded or malicious actions that may affect its international reputation, while the Bangladesh side reaffirmed its commitment to the rule of law, ensuring due process, accountability, and timely justice.

Fear of syndicate

Malaysian authorities allowed a limited number of Bangladeshi agencies to send workers, which is known as a syndicate. After the latest MoU signed between the countries in late 2021, only 100 agencies were allowed to send workers.

Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira) member Altab Khan has expressed concern over the possible return of the syndicate system amid recent developments regarding the Malaysian labour market. He filed a case against the 100-agency syndicate after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government.

"Reviewing the existing agreement (MoU) and the language of the joint statement suggests that the recruitment process may be conducted through a limited number of agencies, which could lead to a repetition of the controversial syndicate system of the past."

"Through the misuse of the previous agreement, a limited number of agencies were selected, which was outside the terms of the agreement. The agreement stated that the Bangladesh government would send a list of all valid licensed agencies, and employers would choose from that list. But in reality, certain agencies were selected," he said.

Regarding Malaysia's concern over the human trafficking case, he said, "Cases have been filed in the country on this issue. The irregularities that occurred are internal matters of our country. There is nothing for Malaysia to be embarrassed about. If any crime has been committed, it will be tried in Bangladesh."

Fakhrul Islam, former joint secretary of Baira, told TBS, "The withdrawal of ongoing cases, the drama of zero cost, and similar actions indicate that even the current democratic government is moving towards a syndicate system."

"In 2022, Malaysia's then human resources minister Seri Saravanan came to Dhaka and spoke about recruiting workers at zero cost. But what did we actually see? In reality, the intention was to blackmail the government and establish a syndicate. This time is no exception. Earlier, in 2016, it was also said that workers would go at no cost, but the reality was different," he added.

Shamim Ahmed Chowdhury Noman, former Baira secretary general, said that agencies were selected based on certain qualifications, and a limited list was prepared from several hundred applicants. "Now the question is – whether the same criteria will remain, or whether a new selection will be made, or whether the market will be opened to all – this is still not clear."

Noman said the Malaysian labour market should be open to all. "If all agencies are allowed to operate for a certain period, then later selection or grading can be done based on performance. But if opportunities are restricted from the beginning, many agencies will not even get the chance to prove their capability."