With 53 Bangladeshi workers reaching Malaysia, labour market reopens after 3 years

The first batch of 53 workers reached Malaysia this morning (August 9, 2022) as the nation's labour market resumed recruiting Bangladeshi workers after more than three years of suspension.

An AirAsia flight carrying the 53 Bangladeshi workers landed at Kuala Lumpur Airport at 5:22am.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to Malaysia Golam Sarwar received them at the airport, according to a press release.

Nazmus Sadat Salim, minister of the Labour Wing of the High Commission, officials of Malaysia's Human Resources Ministry and journalists of the two countries were present on the occasion.

The workers have been appointed at a food processing industry called Zimat Jaya in Malaysia.

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53 workers left for Malaysia as labour market opens after 3 years

According to the Malaysian government's new salary structure, they will get a salary of at least 1,500 Malaysian ringgit (equivalent to Tk 37,000) per month. In addition, they will be entitled to all other benefits, including overtime, free accommodation, health insurance, accident insurance at the workplace as per the Malaysian law.

High Commissioner Golam Sarwar expressed satisfaction over the resumption of recruitment of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia and extended sincere thanks to all the stakeholders of Bangladesh and Malaysia. 

It is expected that in the next three years, more than 5 lakh new workers from Bangladesh will be employed in Malaysia and through this, the total remittance sent to Bangladesh from Malaysia will exceed USD three billion, the press release said.

Bangladesh and Malaysia signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in December last year in Kuala Lumpur that lifted a moratorium on labour import imposed by Malaysia over allegations of malpractices and irregularities by a 10-member "syndicate" of Bangladeshi recruiting agencies.

As per the MoU, Malaysia is entitled to select Bangladeshi recruiting agencies, whereas, the Bangladesh expatriates' welfare ministry will give recruitment approval to agencies based on their submissions of documents for sending workers abroad.