Halt Malaysia worker flow if syndicate persists: Labour stakeholders to govt

Labour migration stakeholders today (8 May) called on the interim government to send a clear message to Malaysia, warning that Bangladesh would stop sending workers unless the recruitment syndicate is eliminated from the system. 

This move aims to prevent money laundering, involving thousands of crores of taka.

"Our chief adviser has a close relationship with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. He should clearly state, on behalf of the people, that Bangladesh will not send workers through any syndicate. Because this message has not been communicated, those behind the syndicate remain active," said Mohammad Fakhrul Islam, former joint secretary general of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira).

He made the statement during a "Consultation on the Malaysian Labour Market" event organised by the Bangladesh Civil Society for Migrants (BCSM) at a city hotel.

Fakhrul Islam added, "If the government continues to allow syndicates to control the Malaysian labour market like the previous authoritarian regime did, it will be held accountable. This could harm the chief adviser's global reputation and the respect he has earned worldwide."

Baira member Nurul Amin accused the syndicate members of laundering thousands of crores of taka to Malaysia, taken from poor migrant workers.

"They claim that if the Malaysian market reopens under a syndicated system, remittance will increase. This is just propaganda to bring back a corrupt system," he said.

In 2021, Malaysia allowed only 100 Bangladeshi recruitment agencies to send workers, despite over 2,500 registered agencies in Bangladesh. 

This limited group, known as a "syndicate," has been linked to widespread corruption, charging up to Tk6 lakh per worker for migration costs. Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bangladesh, Malaysia had the power to select the agencies.

Prof Tasneem Siddiqui, acting executive director of the Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU), chaired the event and said, "The MoU should be revised so that Bangladesh can decide how many agencies are allowed."

She also questioned why legal action against those responsible for past syndicates in the Malaysian labour market has not progressed.

"If they were held accountable, thousands of workers wouldn't have been deceived," she said.

The stakeholders concluded by urging the government to avoid sending workers through any syndicate-based system.