PM seeks Malaysia labour market reopening

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has urged Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to reopen Malaysia’s labour market to Bangladeshi workers, describing overseas employment as a crucial source of foreign currency earnings for Bangladesh.

The request came during bilateral talks in Putrajaya on Monday, marking Tarique Rahman’s first official foreign visit since assuming office in February.

According to a joint statement issued after the meeting, Malaysia acknowledged Bangladesh’s proposal on labour recruitment and agreed to continue discussions through existing bilateral mechanisms.

Both countries also agreed to convene a Joint Working Group (JWG) to review current arrangements and prepare a new labour agreement reflecting present economic realities.

While Kuala Lumpur stopped short of announcing an immediate reopening of large-scale recruitment, Malaysia said approvals for new foreign worker quotas would continue to be assessed on a case-by-case basis according to verified employer demand and sectoral requirements.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring that recruitment remains “transparent, fair and affordable”, with reduced reliance on intermediaries and lower costs for workers.

“I requested Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to consider recruiting more Bangladeshi workers, as well as to open the labour market as soon as possible,” Tarique Rahman said.

The joint statement recognised the significant contribution of Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia’s development and identified the continued, safe and mutually beneficial migration of workers as a shared objective.

The visit also produced agreements aimed at broadening bilateral cooperation.

Bangladesh and Malaysia signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cultural cooperation and exchanged documents on investment cooperation, research and capacity-building in counter-terrorism.

The two leaders reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral relations and discussed regional and international issues.

Congratulating Tarique Rahman on becoming Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim described his appointment as the beginning of “a new chapter” for Bangladesh, expressing hopes for peace, stability and progress.

Digital transformation emerged as a major area of cooperation. The two countries agreed to strengthen collaboration in artificial intelligence, fintech, cyber security, digital governance and other advanced technologies.

Malaysia pledged support for capacity building, knowledge sharing and investment in Bangladesh’s digital economy, including technology parks, special economic zones and digital public infrastructure.

In a significant forward-looking initiative, the two sides agreed to cooperate in the semiconductor sector.

Recognising Malaysia’s global expertise in semiconductor packaging, testing and assembly services, Bangladesh proposed a bilateral talent development framework to train engineering graduates through skills programmes and expert exchanges.

Officials said the initiative could help develop a skilled workforce capable of participating in global semiconductor supply chains.

Trade and investment also featured prominently in the discussions.

Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to concluding negotiations on a Malaysia-Bangladesh Free Trade Agreement by 2027 and welcomed progress towards establishing a Joint Business Council to strengthen private-sector engagement.

They encouraged cooperation across sectors including telecommunications, infrastructure, logistics, energy, digital industries, smart manufacturing, education and skills development.

Energy security was another key area of focus. Both governments agreed to strengthen implementation of their existing memorandum covering liquefied natural gas (LNG), LNG infrastructure and petroleum products.

Bangladesh also invited Malaysian companies to invest in oil and gas exploration in the Bay of Bengal, mineral extraction and renewable energy projects.

The leaders further agreed to expand defence and security cooperation by operationalising the existing defence cooperation framework and enhancing collaboration in military training, technical expertise and defence industry partnerships.

They also pledged closer cooperation in combating terrorism and violent extremism through intelligence-sharing, training and capacity-building initiatives.

Regional issues, including the Rohingya crisis, ASEAN engagement and economic integration, were also discussed. Malaysia reiterated its support for the safe, dignified and sustainable repatriation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar and backed Bangladesh’s aspiration to become an ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner and, in the longer term, join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

As the visit concluded, Tarique Rahman thanked the Malaysian government for its hospitality and described the discussions as productive and forward-looking.