Minister slams Bangladesh High Commission over employment job portal

 

The employment portal is also meant to assist undocumented Bangladeshi workers to participate in the government’s Recalibration Programme.

PETALING JAYA: Human resources minister M Saravanan today slammed the Bangladesh High Commission for launching an employment job portal called “Chakrir Khoj”.

Saravanan said it was inappropriate to launch the job portal in Malaysia as it undermined the government’s plan to properly manage the demand for foreign labour in the country.

“I am shocked by the action of the Bangladesh High Commission over its launch of ‘Chakrir Khoj’ without prior consultation or notification to the human resources ministry. Such action goes against the role and responsibility of a foreign diplomatic mission,” he said.

The employment portal is to enable Malaysian employers to recruit Bangladeshi workers, as well as to assist undocumented Bangladeshi workers to participate in the government’s Recalibration Programme that was announced last year.

The introduction of the Recalibration Programme allows the construction, manufacturing, plantation and agricultural sectors to legally employ undocumented workers until June 30.

Saravanan said the government had developed a national employment portal called MyFutureJobs which advertised domestic job vacancies that also catered to foreign workers as well as expatriates.

He added that “Chakrir Khoj” would jeopardise the business of more than 400 private employment agencies currently licensed by the labour department to bring foreign workers into the country.

“I view this matter seriously as it can mislead and create confusion, particularly among local employers. Under the Private Employment Agencies Act 1981 (Act 246), the recruitment of foreign workers in Malaysia is to be managed by private employment agencies licensed by the department of labour.

“These local companies have been out of business for over a year but are still paying the required licence fee,” he said.

Saravanan also said the employment portal might cause an influx of illegal Bangladeshi workers to the country which could lead to exploitation due to the uncertainty of their immigration status. It could then mar Malaysia’s image, he added.

“As much as I acknowledge the industry’s dependence on foreign workers, especially in sectors that are deemed unattractive to local workers, the ministry has always remained steadfast in ensuring that local workers are given priority to fill the job vacancies,” he said.

Saravanan added he was currently engaging with employers from sectors that were badly affected during the Covid-19 pandemic, namely construction, plantation and agriculture, to advertise their vacancies on the MyFutureJobs portal to ensure no local workers were deprived of the opportunity to secure employment. - FMT