Direct hiring to replace syndicates in Malaysia

The government has vowed to break the long-standing syndicate system in Malaysia’s labour market, with Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury declaring a policy of “zero tolerance” against any group seeking to monopolise overseas recruitment.

The minister also indicates that discussions are underway over a possible visit by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to Malaysia.

Speaking at a press briefing at the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment on Tuesday, the minister said dismantling syndicates was his biggest challenge and pledged to leave office if he failed.

Asked whether the ministry could be freed from syndicates, he replied: “This is my challenge.

If I cannot do it, I will leave.” When asked whether he was treating the issue as a special priority, he reiterated: “I am taking it very seriously and this is my challenge.”

Referring specifically to Malaysia’s labour market, Ariful Haque said, “I have been saying since my first day in office that if I remain minister, there will be no opportunity for any kind of syndicate here.

Zero tolerance.”
He added that visible progress could come soon.

“Something that you have not heard for a long time, you will begin to see within the next few weeks, perhaps a little longer.

Then the proposal will be before you and everything will become clear, Inshallah. Our labour market will reopen,” he said.

The minister’s remarks come amid renewed expectations over the reopening of Malaysia’s labour market for Bangladeshi workers, which has long been criticised for being controlled by a limited number of recruiting agencies.

Malaysia currently permits only a select group of Bangladeshi recruitment agencies to send workers, a system widely described as a syndicate.

Recruiters say the practice began years ago with a small number of approved agencies before expanding over time.

More recently, allegations emerged that a group of agencies profited heavily from the recruitment process while thousands of aspiring workers were unable to travel before the recruitment deadline expired.

Attention has also turned to a possible visit by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to Malaysia later this month.

Asked whether any labour-related memorandum of understanding would be signed during the visit, the minister said, “So far, I have no news about that. We already have an MoU, as you know.”

He nevertheless indicated that discussions regarding the visit and labour cooperation were continuing.

The minister also promised strict action against corruption, abuse of authority and irregularities in the overseas employment sector.

He said allegations against recruitment agencies would be thoroughly investigated, including claims that some operators continue their business activities under different names after their licences have been suspended or cancelled.

In another significant development, the ministry has established a five-member Complaint Resolution Cell to address problems faced by Bangladeshis living and working abroad.

The cell became operational on Tuesday and will receive complaints submitted through the official email addresses minister@probashi.gov.bd and minister.expat@gmail.com.

According to the ministry, the committee will take necessary measures to resolve complaints promptly and submit regular reports on complaints received and actions taken to the minister and the ministry secretary.

The committee is headed by a senior official from the ministry’s Monitoring and Enforcement Division and includes representatives from welfare, legal, service and enforcement branches. It has also been authorised to co-opt additional members whenever necessary.

The minister said additional complaint channels, including WhatsApp-based services, would be introduced later to make the system more accessible to expatriates.

The briefing also highlighted plans to introduce a new Probashi Card that will eventually replace the existing BMET card.

“If there is a Probashi Card, there will be no need for a BMET card. What is the point of having so many cards?” the minister said.

He explained that the government was working to ensure expatriates could access all available services through a single card.

According to ministry officials, Bangladeshis residing abroad, including those in Europe and Latin America, will be eligible to apply for the card.

“The Probashi Card will function like a credit card,” the minister said. “There will be a dedicated cell where applications will be submitted and verified. If a person is found eligible, he or she will receive the card.”

He said the government was still finalising the benefits attached to the card but was exploring ways to facilitate remittance transfers, banking services and digital identity verification.

“We are working on how expatriates can enjoy currency-related facilities, what benefits they can receive when sending remittances through formal channels, how banking payment gateways can be improved and how digital identity and tracking systems can be linked to the card,” he said.

The government is also discussing priority access to public services for cardholders.

“We are working to ensure that expatriates can receive land-related services through this card,” the minister said.

“We are talking to the Ministry of Land so that cardholders receive services on a priority basis.

We also want them to receive priority treatment in hospitals. We want to bring change in these areas.”

State Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare Nurul Haque and ministry secretary Mokhter Hossain were present at the briefing.