New hope emerges on Malaysia labour market
Reza Mahmud :
New hope emerged over reopening door of Malaysian labour market for Bangladeshi workers after Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus’s recent three day visit to the country.
Sources said, CA Yunus’s meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim created positive ambiance of recruiting huge number of Bangladeshi manpower to different sectors in the large labour market.
When contacted, Mohammad Fakhrul Islam, former Joint-Secretary of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) told The New Nation on Friday, “There are huge optimism created over resuming Malaysian labour market for Bangladeshi manpower as CA Dr. Yunus’s recent visit found very positive on this issue.”
The BAIRA leader also urged the government to stay alert over framing further syndicate on manpower recruiting to the country saying such thing caused closing the very important labour market previously.
Druing his visit in Putrajaya Dr. Yunus told journalists that more Bangladeshis would get job opportunities in the Malaysian labour market.
“We hope that this door will remain open for Bangladeshi manpower and more young people from Bangladesh will get the opportunity to work here,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus in an interview with Malaysian news agency Bernama said Dhaka and Putrajaya have agreed to establish a clear and more transparent recruitment process for Bangladeshi workers.
The latest initiative seeks to rectify existing shortcomings in the labour recruitment system while fostering mutual benefits for both Bangladesh and Malaysia.
According to a report by Bernama, Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus revealed that the matter was extensively discussed during his recent meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in Putrajaya.
He acknowledged the challenges and irregularities currently present in the recruitment process and underscored the importance of a comprehensive overhaul to ensure a more streamlined, fair, and transparent system.
Dr. Yunus stressed that both nations share a common vision: Malaysia requires a steady inflow of skilled and semi-skilled workers to sustain its economic growth, while Bangladesh wants to guarantee that its citizens who go abroad for employment are recruited under fair terms, treated with dignity, and receive proper wages and benefits. “The discussions centred on establishing a robust framework that will not only create job opportunities for Bangladeshi workers but also safeguard their rights and welfare,” Bernama reported.
Sources said, Bangladeshi nationals constitute the largest segment of Malaysia’s foreign workforce, numbering approximately 898,970. They are engaged across vital sectors such as construction, manufacturing, plantations, agriculture, and various service industries. This workforce plays a pivotal role in supporting Malaysia’s infrastructure development, boosting industrial output, and filling labour shortages in essential services.