Reza Mahmud :
Opening process of Malaysian labour market for Bangladeshi workers are on stalemate again over syndicate issue, sources said.
Several issues have created obstacles on opening the important labour markets for Bangladeshi manpower for past three years.
Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad’s government suspended employing Bangladeshi workers in 2018 after revealing of allegation of taking extra charge from the migrants by the recruiting agencies.
On the period, a syndicate of Bangladeshi recruiting agencies was involved sending manpower to Malaysia.
After the suspension, many efforts had been taken from Expatriates’ Welfare and Employment Overseas ministry of Bangladesh for opening the larger labour markets but yet to be fruitful.
Malaysian manufacturing factories, plantation and agricultural sectors have huge demand of recruiting Bangladeshi workers as they are honest and hard working.
On the other hand, Bangladesh also gives importance to the larger labour market as the other destinations like the Middle East are being shrunken for long.
In this situation, Bangladesh and Malaysia inked
a MoU over opening the labour market for Bagnladeshi manpower on December 19 last year.
Malaysian government also passed the MoU while Bangladesh side are yet to initiate a data bank comprising the lists of eligible workers.
When the Bangladeshi workers are waiting eagerly for going to Malaysia, the market opening process fell in another stalemate over recruiting agencies syndicate issue.
Sources said that Malaysian Human Resources Minister M Saravanan has written a letter to Bangladesh Expatriates’ Welfare and Employment Overseas Minister Imran Ahmed agreeing with forming syndicates of 25 Bangladeshi and 250 Malaysian recruiting agencies.
But Minister Imran Ahmed repliyed the letter clearing that he disagrees over forming such syndicates.
After that development, the process of opening the labour market is on impasse, sources said.
Sources said, the controversy is delaying only the process of opening the labour market. But it will must be opened as there are huge interests of the both countries’ on it.
When contacted, Expatriates’ Welfare Minister Imran Ahmed told The New Nation, “It is clear that I am not favouring the idea of forming a syndicate. Similarly I am not opposed to the idea. I just want to open the important market favouring my countries workers only.”
The minister said that he wants ensuring low cost migration of the country’s workers to Malaysia.
Replying to a query about when the door of the Malaysian labour market to be opened finally, the minister avoiding to reply directly.
He said that the process is ongoing and the market will open soon after ensuring labours job and wages safety in the East Asian country.
Meanwhile, several members of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) are trying to forming a syndicate in this regards, while another portion opposed the process.
Datu Seri Amin, a Bangladeshi original Malaysian citizen is behind forming the syndicate in both the country.
Stakeholders of the sector in both countries are criticizing the efforts of forming the syndicate.
