Malaysia labour market may again fall into syndicate control

Bangla Press Desk:  Bangladeshi manpower export agencies must now meet 10 new criteria to send workers to Malaysia — including at least five years of satisfactory experience and evidence of sending a minimum of 3,000 workers abroad in the past five years.

The Malaysian Foreign Ministry recently issued these conditions in a letter to Bangladesh’s Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, which has invited qualified agencies to apply by 7 November.

However, migration sector insiders fear that these new requirements will once again push Malaysia’s labour market into the hands of a powerful syndicate. They argue that the criteria are designed in such a way that only a few agencies — the same ones accused of monopolising the market before — will qualify.

Malaysia halted labour recruitment from Bangladesh on 31 May last year amid allegations of corruption and irregularities. Despite several meetings, Bangladesh’s interim government has yet to reopen the market. Officials had been negotiating with Malaysia to make the process open and transparent for all agencies. Although Malaysia recently showed some positive response, the introduction of these stringent conditions has raised fresh concerns.

Former joint secretary general of BAIRA (Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies) Fakhrul Islam told journalists, “This will again put the market under syndicate control. These conditions are set by the same vested group. There is no logic behind requiring a 10,000-square-foot office for manpower recruitment — no other country imposes such a rule. This will only increase migration costs. The same syndicate that once operated illegally is now trying to do it legally.”

Malaysia’s 10 new conditions for recruiting agencies include:

• At least five years of satisfactory operational experience after obtaining a licence.
• Proof of sending at least 3,000 workers abroad in the last five years.
• Experience in sending workers to at least three different destination countries.
• Valid licences from all relevant Bangladeshi authorities for training, assessment, and recruitment.
• A certificate of good conduct issued by the competent authority in Bangladesh.
• No record of forced labour, human trafficking, labour law violations, money laundering, or unethical practices.
• A dedicated training and assessment centre.
• At least five letters of appreciation from different foreign employers.
• A permanent office of at least 10,000 square feet, operating for a minimum of three years.
• Evidence of following lawful and procedural recruitment standards.

According to the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare, Malaysia previously allowed more agencies from other countries compared to Bangladesh. The government had repeatedly requested equal opportunities for all licensed Bangladeshi recruiters. Following the Joint Working Group meeting held in Dhaka on 21–22 May, Malaysia promised to share uniform selection criteria for recruiting agents across Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Myanmar.

Malaysia first suspended worker recruitment from Bangladesh in 2018 due to corruption allegations. After three years, the market reopened through a memorandum of understanding signed on 18 December 2021. Recruitment resumed in August 2022, but the process was again halted on 31 May last year. Although documentation for nearly 17,000 workers was ready, only 7,823 were eventually shortlisted by the Malaysian government — whose deployment process is now underway — while new recruitment remains suspended.

BP/TD