Bangladesh labour deal: 'The more they threaten, the more I ban' - Saravanan

 

Ahead of bilateral meetings and a planned protest, Human Resources Minister M Saravanan has defended Malaysia's stand to limit the number of Bangladeshi recruiters allowed to send their citizens as labourers here.

Speaking to Malaysiakini, Saravanan, who is scheduled to lead a ministry delegation for a Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting in Dhaka tomorrow, said he is personally unafraid of any protest reportedly planned by Bangladeshi labour recruiters unhappy with Malaysia's restrictions.

"I am not afraid. The more they threaten, the more I will ban!" he stressed.

Members of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira) have reportedly threatened to turn up at the JWG meeting in burial shrouds in protest against Putrajaya's stand that only 25 recruitment agencies and 250 sub-agents will be permitted to send workers to Malaysia.

This was contrary to Baira's request for equal opportunity in an "open market system" - involving over 1,000 of its members - which it mooted as an end to an alleged "syndicate" accused of hiking recruitment costs and a slew of other labour rights violations.

Citing industry sources, Bangladeshi newspaper The Business Post said recruitment costs would go up from 120,000 Bangladeshi Taka (RM5,900) per person to 450,000 Bangladeshi Taka (RM22,200) if a cartel is allowed to control the market.

Saravanan is scheduled to meet his counterpart, Bangladesh's Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmed, at the JWG meeting.

"They must respect our decision. The same government had accepted 10 agencies (limit) before, and now we have increased to 25," said Saravanan, who referred to recruitment terms set during former premier Najib Razak's administration.

Asked his expected outcome from the meeting, the minister said, "It's their call."

Oversupply of workers

On Nov 1, 2018, Bangladesh newspaper The Daily Star revealed how Putrajaya under Najib, with Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as home minister, had selected 10 agencies from over 700 proposed agencies, allegedly without basis.

Imran assumed his current office only two months after Harapan suspended recruitments from Bangladesh as part of Putrajaya's reform initiatives.

Before signing the new MOU with Malaysia last December, the Bangladeshi minister had backed Baira's call to end alleged syndicates in the recruitment process.

Saravanan, however, said the open market practice was previously ended as it had led to an oversupply of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia.

"It was a failure in the past. Before 2016, all agencies were allowed to send workers here, and we had massive problems in the country until 50,000 Bangladeshis were sleeping on the streets.

"There were also protests by thousands of Bangladeshis at their High Commission in Kuala Lumpur because of the problems that arise," he said.

Additionally, Saravanan said a previous attempt at direct recruitment via a government-to-government deal had also failed, achieving a counter effect in terms of arrival numbers.

"So finally, in 2018, a new limit was imposed for only 10 agencies.

"If the current arrangement is proven successful, we can consider further increasing the number," he added.

The signing of the bilateral MOU was intended to lift the embargo on labour supply from Bangladesh to Malaysia for all sectors, but the recruitment process is still pending the conclusion of the JWG meeting. - Mkini