The Malaysian cabinet will make a final decision on the number of Bangladesh recruitment agencies permitted to send their citizens as workers here.
Human Resources Minister M Saravanan (above, right) told journalists in Dhaka, Bangladesh, that a final decision on this issue, which raised protests from labour recruiters, lies in the hands of the receiving countries.
"That is depend on Malaysia (sic). That is ours. That is usually the receiving country will decide.
"And we will do according to the decision of our cabinet," said Saravanan after leading Malaysia’s delegation at a meeting with his counterpart, Bangladesh’s Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmad (above, left).
Bangladesh online portal Probash Barta shared on Facebook footage from a doorstop interview with Saravanan after the meeting this morning.
"We will decide and we will know after the (cabinet) meeting," said Saravanan when quizzed on whether a final decision has been made by Malaysia to only authorise 25 recruitment agencies.
Saravanan said Malaysia is in dire need of workers while Bangladesh has an excess number to send out, so it is beneficial to expedite the process after resolving all outstanding matters.
"The Bangladesh government is very concerned that the welfare of workers will be taken care of, so we have to give them the assurance.
"We have announced, we have informed them what measures we are taking, to make sure welfare of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia are being taken care of in terms of salary, social needs, and so on and so forth. All that we are putting on record today," the minister said.
Meanwhile, what was initially expected to be a macabre greeting for Saravanan by unhappy labour recruiters under the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira), turned out to be a peaceful protest held outside the meeting venue.
Photographs from the protest showed Baira members carrying "welcome" banners, calling for Malaysia to open the recruitment process to all licensed agencies which number over 1,000.
When contacted, Baira secretary-general Shameem Ahmed Chowdhury confirmed his members had reiterated their call for an "open market" as practised with 13 other countries sending migrant workers to Malaysia.
"More than 200 members showed up but the police did not allow our members to gather," he told Malaysiakini.
Both countries signed a memorandum of agreement last December to lift the embargo on labour supply from Bangladesh to Malaysia for all sectors but the recruitment process is still pending.
The embargo was imposed by the Pakatan Harapan government on Sept 1, 2018. - Mkini
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