Bangladesh and Malaysia today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on employment of Bangladeshi workers in the southeast Asian country.

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

Bangladesh High Commissioner to Malaysia Md Golam Sarwar, Labour Councilors Md Zahirul Islam and Md Hedayetul Islam, among others, were present during the signing.

Earlier, Minister Imran Ahmad landed at Kuala Lumpur airport at 5:00 am (local time) today.

This MoU is a follow-up to the approval of Cabinet Meeting, according to the media statement of Malaysia's ministry of human resources.

The previous MoU expired on February 17, 2021, and this new MoU will be in effect for five years, ending in December 2026. This MoU outlines the responsibilities of the Malaysian and Bangladeshi governments, including employers and employees from both countries, as well as agency responsibilities. A joint working group made up of representatives from both countries will oversee the MoU's implementation, the statement said.

As of November 30, 2021, 326,669 Bangladeshi workers are employed in Malaysia, with the majority working in the manufacturing (111,694) and construction (136,897) industries. The signing of this MoU is expected to address the urgent need for foreign employment, particularly in the plantation sector, which has already been approved as a special exception by the Malaysian Cabinet -- for 32,000 people. 

Employers who want to hire foreign workers must meet the minimum standards of Housing, Accommodation, and Employee Facilities Act, according to the Malaysian ministry of human resources (Act 446). 

In line with the decision of the Cabinet meeting on December 10, 2021, to allow the recruitment of foreign workers to be open to all sectors other than the plantation sector as previously agreed, the standing operating procedures (SOP) for the entry of foreign workers into all sectors have been streamlined and improved.

This SOP includes four phases: namely pre-release, on arrival, after arrival (quarantine period) and post quarantine. The pre-release phase includes aspects of the need for complete Covid-19 vaccination in the source country and RT-PCR screening tests performed two days prior to release. In the arrival phase, foreign workers are only allowed to enter through one international gateway, the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), for air routes. 

Meanwhile, Bukit Kayu Hitam, Wang Kelian and Rantau Panjang are for land routes that are limited to Thai fishing vessel crews. For the post-arrival phase, which is the quarantine period, foreign workers will be placed in a quarantine centre in the Klang Valley for seven days where screening tests will be conducted on the second and fifth days of the quarantine period. In the post-quarantine phase, foreign workers will be brought to their respective workplaces and will undergo a health examination by FOMEMA.

In this regard, the entry of foreign workers, including Bangladeshis, will be closely monitored based on the SOP by Malaysia's ministry of human resources in collaboration with the ministry of health and the National Security Council.

Read more: Recruitment from Bangladesh: Malaysia opens doors, finally