The Malaysian labour market, which remained closed due to corruption, mismanagement, syndicates and irregularities during the previous “fascist” regime, is set to reopen for Bangladeshi workers through a transparent process, the government said on Friday.
The government said reopening the Malaysian labour market has been given the highest priority, with several ministerial-level meetings held between the two countries.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman also discussed the issue with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar during his first foreign visit, it said.
The direct meetings and discussions, with Bangladesh's interests given priority, have opened what the government described as historic and significant prospects for reopening the Malaysian labour market for Bangladeshi workers.
The Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry said the existing memorandum of understanding between Bangladesh and Malaysia, signed on December 18, 2022, gave the Malaysian government sole authority to select Bangladeshi recruiting agencies sending workers to Malaysia.
As the MoU remains valid until December 31 this year, it is not easy for Bangladesh to change the conditions imposed by the Malaysian government, the ministry said.
However, it said the current government has made maximum efforts to negotiate with Malaysia and has succeeded in protecting Bangladesh's interests and securing the welfare and maximum benefits of its migrant workers while coordinating with Malaysia's legal requirements and policies.
Malaysia agrees to take 10,000 workers at zero cost
The government said the continued efforts have paved the way for reopening employment opportunities for Bangladeshis in Malaysia.
As a major breakthrough, Malaysian authorities have, in principle, agreed to take 10,000 Bangladeshi workers completely free of charge, or at “zero cost”, following a special request from the Bangladesh government.
The workers will not have to bear any migration-related expenses, including airfares.
The Malaysian labour market will resume with the first batch of these workers being sent to Malaysia on a special chartered flight through the state-run Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOESL), the ministry said.
Under its Cabinet decision, Malaysia directly selected 25 Bangladeshi recruiting agencies and, in recognition of Bangladesh's position, will allow another 312 agencies to send workers as associate recruitment agencies.
BOESL, the country's only government-run recruiting agency, will also be allowed to operate under the arrangement.
As a result, a total of 338 Bangladeshi recruiting agencies will have the opportunity to send workers to Malaysia, which the government described as a historic achievement despite various existing regulatory limitations.
The ministry said there had previously been no example of such scrutiny being carried out through a transparent process involving state institutions of such importance.
The government expressed hope that Bangladesh's interests would be protected in the approval of recruiting agencies through a new MoU after the current agreement expires on December 31.