It’s early to say anything on Malaysian calling visa: HC

Staff Reporter :

The newly appointed Bangladesh High Commissioner (HC) to Malaysia, Manjurul Karim Khan Chowdhury, has said that the process of sending Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia under the calling visa system is still at a very early stage.

He mentioned that it is too early to make any comment on the matter. The process of sending workers from Bangladesh in full swing has not yet started. Therefore, when inaccurate or misleading information regarding the labor market is published in the media, the Malaysian government seeks explanations from the High Commission.

He made these remarks on Thursday evening during a view exchange meeting with expatriate journalists at the hall room of the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur.

The High Commissioner said, “News related to the labor market should be properly verified before publication. We need to be patient and wait for the right time.”

He also urged expatriate journalists to report objectively so that accurate information reaches the general expatriate community.

Manjurul Karim Khan Chowdhury said, “Around 1.5 million Bangladeshi expatriates live in Malaysia. Often, they suffer from a lack of accurate information and rely more on middlemen, which leads to confusion. Journalists can easily connect with the expatriates and highlight their problems. This helps build a bridge between the embassy and the expatriate community.

Alongside identifying issues, efforts should be made to suggest possible solutions.”
When asked about the legalization of undocumented workers, he replied, “Discussions on this matter have already been held during the visit of the Honorable Chief Adviser. However, the decision to grant legalization fully depends on the Malaysian government.”

Deputy High Commissioner Mosammat Shahanara Monika and other officials of the embassy were present at the meeting.

It should be noted that since last year, the Malaysian government has suspended the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers under the calling visa system due to allegations of syndication and corruption in the process.

However, on October 28 of this year, the Malaysian government issued a letter allowing the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers again under the calling visa system, specifying the names of valid recruiting agencies along with 10 conditions.