Malaysia to recruit only 30,000-40,000 Bangladeshi workers: Asif Nazrul

Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Adviser Asif Nazrul has stated that Malaysia will not recruit more than 30,000-40,000 workers from Bangladesh in the coming year. 

"There is a hype going around that Malaysia will recruit 10 to 12 lakh workers from Bangladesh, but in reality, the country will recruit no more than 30,000 to 40,000 workers in the next one year," he said while addressing a seminar at the International Mother Language Institute in the capital's Segun Bagicha today (2 July).

Addressing concerns surrounding Malaysia's recruitment process, the adviser explained, "The previous government had a formal agreement with Malaysia, where they would provide a list of recruiting agencies, and we would make the final selection. This process is what we refer to as the 'syndicate.'"

"Now that we are in charge, there is pressure to dismantle the syndicate. But doing so requires a revision of the existing agreement, which we cannot impose unilaterally. It has to be negotiated," he said.

"If Malaysia refuses to amend the agreement, we face two options – either proceed with sending workers through the proposed 25, 50, or 100 agencies, or send no workers at all. If I allow recruitment through the syndicate, I will be accused of supporting it. But if we don't send anyone, 40,000 workers could lose opportunities, impacting 100,000 to 200,000 families," Asif Nazrul added.