Malaysia agrees to reopen labour market to Bangladeshis
The Malaysian Minister hoped that worker recruitment process would start once the Covid-19 situation improves.
Malaysia has agreed to reopen its labour market to Bangladeshi migrant workers, said a press release.
During a virtual meeting with Bangladesh's Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister, Imran Ahmad, on Thursday, Malaysian Human Resource Minister, Datuk Seri M Saravanan, gave his consent to start taking Bangladeshi workers as soon as possible.
According to the Expatriates' Welfare press release, a joint working group meeting between the two countries will be arranged soon in this regard.
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The Malaysian Minister hoped that worker recruitment process would start once the Covid-19 situation improves.
During the meeting, the two Ministers agreed that to ensure safe migration, a list of all legal recruiting agents would be sent to Malaysia from Bangladesh for finalization. They also agreed that to strengthen and ensure a fair recruitment system, the whole process – starting from selection of workers from a database, to payment of service charges through banking channels – would be monitored strictly and regularly online.
The meeting also stressed on taking steps for the return of Bangladeshi migrant workers to Malaysia who are not being able to go to work due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation. Malaysia, on principle, agreed at the meeting to take this initiative, saying that they would inform later what steps have been taken in this regard.
In the meeting, the Bangladeshi Expatriates' Welfare Minister urged the Malaysian Minister to personally look into legalisation of Bangladeshi workers who are presently working in Malaysia without permits.
At the end of the meeting, both parties expressed their satisfaction over the fruitful discussion.
The meeting was also attended by Secretary, Bangladesh Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry, Dr Ahmed Munirus Salehin; Bangladesh's High Commissioner to Malaysia, Md Shahidul Islam; Managing Director, Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training, Md Shamsul Alam; and Additional Secretary, Bashir Ahmed; Secretary General, Malaysia's Human Resources Ministry, Dato' Jamil bin Rakon; Deputy Secretary General, A Maniam; Under Secretary, Policy Division, Dr Nor Mazny binti Abdul Majid; and Under Secretary, International Division, Dr Zaki bin Zakaria.
