Hopes for ending moratorium on Bangladesh workers in weeks
New system being worked out for recruitment of migrant workers, say Bangladesh and Malaysian ministers
KUALA LUMPUR: A moratorium on migrant workers from Bangladesh is expected to be lifted, by next month at the soonest, according to Human Resources Minister M Kula Segaran.
“I hope we can conclude within one or two months the review on the moratorium that is now in the final stage so that labour supply from Bangladesh can resume,” he said at a press conference after opening an international planters conference today.
Last week, the Bangladesh minister for overseas employment, Imran Ahmad, said in Kuala Lumpur that a new recruitment mechanism was being finalised.
“The old system is not working, so for the new system, we will get everybody involved and work on it. I think in August, there could be a solution,” he said.
The old Foreign Worker Application System for Bangladeshi workers only allowed 10 selected agencies approved by the previous Malaysia government to undertake the recruitment of migrant workers from Bangladesh.
Imran said the new system would be more transparent.
Bangladeshi applicants were required to pay up to RM20,000 each in processing fees to facilitate work permit approvals and other arrangements.
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Imran estimated some 400,000 Bangladeshi workers were currently working legally in Malaysia.