The Malaysia labour market has been closed for Bangladeshis for some time. Stating that despite the provisions of the 2016 agreement, there was a lot of unethical business, Malaysia stopped taking workers from Sept 1 last. Several sources say that both governments are trying to reach a consensus on the matter.
“We are discussing a new protocol where several terms of the previous agreement were changed,” said a government official.
Already three meetings were held with Malaysia and it was agreed that workers would be sent under the G to G plus system, and in the new method, the process would be operative through market system, added the official.
The amended agreement will have provisions for medical insurance and currently, the details are being discussed.
Bangladesh government would help to bring back workers who overstayed their visas or were detained, said the official adding: “Malaysia wanted the labour agencies to be beholden for overstaying workers but we demurred.”
Under the agreement signed in 2016, workers could be sent through ten companies in Bangladesh but due to its abuse, the cost of sending a worker went up to Tk 400,000.
After Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad came to power, the deal was put in abeyance and discussions began for a new deal.
Bangladesh high commissioner to Malaysia, Md Shahidul Islam, said: “Malaysia wants to make a general format to appoint workers which will be applicable for foreign workers and this will benefit Bangladesh.”
As per the statistics of the manpower, employment and training bureau, 30,483 workers went to Malaysia in 2015 and in the first seven months of 2018, it was 109,562 persons.