Reza Mahmud :
A fresh uncertainty has gripped over the reopening of Bangladesh labour market in Malaysia following the sudden resignation Mahathir Mohammad, insiders said.
They said thousands of workers who were waiting to go to Malaysia for jobs have become disappointed amid the deepening uncertainty.
“Both sides have reached an understanding over the issue and we were optimistic that the market may be reopened soon. But Mahathir Mohammad’s sudden resignation shed all the hopes,” a leading manpower exporter told The New Nation yesterday on condition of anonymity.
He said when doors of the middle-eastern countries are shrunken for our manpower export; the uncertainty of Malaysian market is seriously disappointing for both the awaiting workers and the recruiting agents.
A light of hope was shined on Saturday over reopening the labour market as the Human Resources Minister of Malaysia M Kula Segaran arrived in Dhaka for about a weeklong visit to discuss reopening the market.
He already met Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Sunday in the office in Dhaka. After the meeting Dr. Momen told journalists that he is optimistic over reopening of the market in Malaysia.
The Foreign Minister said that he found visiting Malaysian minister positive on the
issue.
Replying to a query about reopening the laour market, the Foreign Minister had said, “I am hopeful because I found the visiting Malaysian Human Resources Minister positive.”
He also said to the visiting Minister, “You will be a hero here if you declare opening of your market for Bangladeshi workers.” Kula Segaran also scheduled to meet with Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmad to discuss the matter in details.
A joint working group (JWG) comprising officials from the both countries was scheduled to sit on Wednesday.
Sources said, there was a good understanding between officials of both countries to reopen the market for Bangladeshi workers during this visit of Kula Segaran.
Everyone on the sector from officials to recruiting agencies’ leaders were optimistic over reopening the market as it was long time awaited issue.
Imran Ahmed with higher officials has visited Malaysia last year to resolve the issue.
Mentionable, on Monday Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohammad resigned from his post.
As a result, the visiting Minister Kula Segaran curtailed his schedule and all set to leave Dhaka on Monday night by a flight of Malaysian Airlines.
All of his co-visitors also to leave Dhaka with him, so the JWG meeting has been postponed which was scheduled for Wednesday.
Sources confirmed that as interim Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohammad cancelled all Ministers’ appointment.
In this circumstance the light of hope doused again.
The labour market has been suspended for Bangladeshi workers since September 1, 2018.
The Malaysian government, as a reason of closing the labour market, said that they have annoyed over irregularities over sending manpower to the country from Bangladesh.
Several leaders of Bangladeshi manpower exporters said that a portion of manpower businessmen forged a syndicate convincing some officials of the then government of Malaysia.
They alleged that the 10 recruiting agencies have captured the whole market while the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) has around 1,400 members.
The monopoly of the 10 members’ syndicate damaged the market as they have charged extra fees from the Malaysia bound workers.
As a result, it created very bad impact on the labour market and eventually it has been closed after changing of the Nazib Razak’s government.
