Malaysia keen to recruit more Bangladesh workers, says Zuraida

 

Zuraida Kamaruddin proposed the introduction of a tracking system to monitor the workers.

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia needs more workers from Bangladesh, plantation industries and commodities minister Zuraida Kamaruddin told Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina today.

The Bangladesh English-language daily New Age reported on a meeting that took place in Dhaka, in which Zuraida expressed how important it was, especially for the plantation sector.

She also discussed a proposal to recruit workers through a government-to-government channel.

According to Zuraida, the proposal would ensure transparency in the recruitment process for the plantation industry and it would be in line with the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the two governments last December.

The proposed recruitment system would ensure basic rights and facilities for workers, including decent accommodation and salary.

Zuraida also proposed the introduction of a tracking system to monitor the workers.

On Dec 19, Malaysia and Bangladesh signed the MoU on the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers, effective for five years until December 2026.

The MoU was signed by human resources minister M Saravanan and Bangladesh’s expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment minister Imran Ahmad in Kuala Lumpur.

Among other things, the MoU outlined the responsibilities of both countries, including those related to the employers from Malaysia and workers from Bangladesh as well as the duties of private employment agencies in both countries. - FMT