33 Bangladeshi migrant workers sue Malaysian govt, recruiter over alleged job scam
In their suit, the workers say they were left stranded after paying RM25,000 each in recruitment fees for promised jobs with a monthly salary of up to RM2,500
Thirty-three Bangladeshi migrant workers have filed a lawsuit against a Malaysian recruitment company and the country's government for leaving them jobless in Malaysia after an alleged job scam involving payment of tens of thousands of ringgit each in fees.
The case was filed at the High Court in the Malaysian city of Shah Alam on 12 March, and was publicly disclosed by Tenaganita, a local rights organisation, on Saturday.
The workers are seeking a court declaration that they were subjected to human trafficking and fraud, reports Free Malaysia Today.
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In their statement of claim, they are demanding RM1.71 million (over Tk4 crore) in compensation from the recruitment firm – comprising RM25,000 each in fees paid to a recruiting agent, and RM27,000 in lost wages based on a promised monthly salary of RM1,500 from October 2023 to March 2025.
They are also seeking ongoing salary compensation of RM1,500 per month from April 2025 until the lawsuit is resolved.
In addition to compensation from the company, the workers are seeking damages from the Malaysian government, a declaration that authorities were negligent, and a court order preventing their detention by immigration authorities while the case is pending.
The workers stated that they were recruited to work in Malaysia as construction workers and were assured of the legitimacy of the job offers by both the recruitment agents and the Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia. The promised monthly wages ranged from RM1,500 to RM2,500.
To secure the jobs, each worker was asked to pay around RM25,000 to cover quota approvals, levies, temporary work permits, health screenings, and agents' commissions. The workers now claim they later discovered these costs should have been covered by the employer.
They arrived in Malaysia between June and October 2023 in batches, only to find themselves without employment. Upon arrival, they said they were forced to hand over their passports and were housed in dormitories in Kuala Lumpur's Pudu area, which they claim were operated by the company.
The workers later discovered that the job offers were fraudulent and remained confined to the dormitories for months, surviving on basic provisions provided for cooking.
After months of inaction, the workers filed a complaint with migrant rights group Tenaganita, which prompted an investigation by Malaysia's labour department. The lawsuit was filed in March at the Shah Alam High Court by the legal firm Saleh and Aizac.
Named as defendants in the suit are Meranti Binamas Sdn Bhd, the secretary-general of the Ministry of Human Resources, the director-general of Immigration, and the Government of Malaysia.
