70% Malaysia-bound workers, who failed to board plane, refunded: State minister

The State Minister for Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Shofiqur Rahman Choudhury announced that 70% of workers who were unable to go to Malaysia due to recruitment agencies failing to provide tickets on time have received refunds for their migration costs.

The state minister shared this information with journalists after a meeting with the Malaysian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Haznah Md Hashim at the ministry today (25 July).

"BAIRA (Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies) has informed us that 70% of the workers who could not go have been refunded. We have told BAIRA that workers will sign an agreement stating that they have received the full amount they paid, only after they receive the money," the state minister said.

"BAIRA will then send us the list. Then we will know how many people have received money. So, I cannot specify exactly how many workers have received money right now. If the full amount is not refunded, legal action will be taken against the recruitment agencies," he added.

Malaysia had allowed 100 Bangladeshi private recruiting agencies to send workers from Bangladesh, collectively known as the syndicate.

However, due to mismanagement and corruption in the recruitment process, the agencies failed to send approximately 17,777 workers despite having clearance from the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training before the 31 May deadline set by Malaysia.

A probe committee formed by the ministry found all private recruiting agencies responsible for the failure to send workers to Malaysia.

Following the committee's recommendation, the agencies were directed to return the money to the affected workers by the 18 July deadline.

Malaysia is no longer taking any new workers from Bangladesh after the previous quota ended.

When asked about the reopening of the labour market, the state minister said, "A meeting of the joint working group of the two countries will be held next month. We will know when the labour market will open then."

Since the reopening of the labour market in August 2022, Malaysia had allocated a quota of over 532,000 for Bangladeshi workers. Out of this, 476,000 workers were able to reach their destination.