MoU on recruitment in Malaysia: What benefits will Bangladeshi workers get?

Bangladesh and Malaysia on December 19 signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on employment of Bangladeshi workers in the southeast Asian country.

Bangladeshi workers will receive several benefits, according to a notification from the Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia. The benefits include:

1. The employer will pay for the flight from Bangladesh to Malaysia and flight back to Bangladesh.

2. Upon arrival in Malaysia, the employer will cover all immigration costs, including the costs of health examination, visa fee, immigration fee, Covid-19 test, and quarantine.

3. The employing company will cover the costs of housing, health, and medical insurance in Malaysia.

4. Employees will be given one day off per week and will be paid overtime if they work more than eight hours per day.

5. Bangladeshi workers will be entitled to annual leave under Malaysian law.

6. If a worker is injured at work, the worker will be compensated, and if the injury is permanent, the worker will be entitled to a lifelong pension upon return to Bangladesh.

7. In the event of a worker's death due to an accident at work, the company will pay for the body's transportation, and the worker's family will receive a one-time payment, as well as a long-term pension for the wife and children.

The agreement was signed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was signed by Malaysia's Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M Saravanan and Bangladesh's Expatriate Welfare Minister Imran Ahmad.