Source: Global Government Forum

Bangladesh supply 1.5m workers to Malaysia to fill key gaps in Malaysia’s manufacturing and service sectors

Bangladesh has agreed to supply 1.5m workers to Malaysia over the next three years under a new bilateral accord. The Government-to-Government Plus (G2G Plus) Memorandum of Understanding is designed to fill key gaps in Malaysia’s manufacturing and service sectors, and to supply manpower for its plantation industry.

The deal, which includes both male and female workers, was signed by Bangladesh’s Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Nurul Islam and Malaysia’s Human Resources Minister Richard Riot. Under the agreement, the cost of sending a worker – about 34-37,000 Bangladeshi taka (£300-£328) – will be borne by the employers, while Dhaka will facilitate and oversee workers’ security clearances.

“We hope that this process would be much more transparent and accountable” than the current arrangements for overseas workers, Bangladesh’s Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam told reporters, adding that the deal would help prevent human trafficking. Richard Riot emphasised that the memorandum will also protect Malaysian citizens, arguing that it “clearly reflects the government’s priority in providing employment opportunities for local workers.”

Malaysia, home to nearly 6m foreign workers, is already a key manpower market for Bangladeshi nationals – about 600,000 are estimated to be in the country, mostly working in the plantation sector.

The governments will have to ensure that problems such as illegal or high recruitment costs, unsafe working conditions, and unfair migration policies are addressed. And independent experts, both inside and outside the two countries, have expressed serious concerns over the proposal. Read more →