Work pass for BD students in Malaysia denied

Staff Reporter :

Malaysian Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir has dismissed as false a claim that 10,000 Bangladeshi students in Malaysia would be granted “graduate passes” allowing them to work in the country.

Dr Zambry clarified that during the recent visit of Bangladesh’s interim government Chief Adviser, Prof Dr Muhammad Yunus, no agreement was signed that would provide such work opportunities for Bangladeshi students, according to Malaysian newspaper The Star.

He also called on Kedah’s Industry and Investment, Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation Committee Chairman Dr Haim Hilman Abdullah to exercise caution before making public statements on matters of higher education.

“Based solely on a newspaper report in Bangladesh, he alleged that I had agreed to consider providing ‘graduate passes’ to 10,000 Bangladeshi students to enable them to work here. This allegation is completely untrue and inaccurate,” Dr Zambry said in a statement on Saturday.

He described Haim Hilman’s suggestion that Malaysians were concerned by such an agreement as “highly irresponsible.” Dr Zambry stressed that public statements, especially from those with academic backgrounds, should be based on verified facts, not speculation.

“Academic principles demand information that has integrity, accuracy and truth,” he added.

Dr Zambry also cautioned against creating misleading perceptions through the dissemination of inaccurate information, highlighting the risks posed by content intended to go viral on social media.

The controversy arose after Haim Hilman posted a 2-minute 19-second video on TikTok claiming that Malaysia would provide employment opportunities to 10,000 Bangladeshi students.