Labour market in Malaysia reopens despite lobbying

Malaysia has reopened its labour market to Bangladeshi workers from Monday, a move the government says reflects the early outcome of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s recent visit to the Southeast Asian nation.

Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury announced the development while speaking to journalists at the Sylhet Circuit House on Monday after a courtesy meeting with US Ambassador Brent T. Christensen.

“The benefits of the Prime Minister’s foreign tour have already started to materialise. Malaysia reopened its labour market for Bangladesh from July 6,” the minister said.

Ariful said the government had been holding continuous discussions with different countries since assuming office to expand overseas employment opportunities and revive existing labour markets.

“As part of those efforts, the Malaysian labour market has been reopened. We hope labour markets in other countries will also be opened gradually,” he added.
Malaysia remains one of the five largest destinations for Bangladeshi migrant workers and a key source of remittance earnings.

According to Bangladesh Bank data, remittances from Malaysia reached $10.2 billion in FY2021-22, $11.2 billion in FY2022-23, $16.0 billion in FY2023-24 and $28.0 billion in FY2024-25.

In FY2025-26, remittance inflows stood at $2.6 billion in July and $2.7 billion each in August and September. Bangladesh received $300.16 million from Malaysia in May 2026 alone.

However, as the reopening process gains momentum, it has also sparked fresh debate over the future management of labour recruitment between the two countries.

British labour rights activist Andy Hall visited Bangladesh earlier this month at the invitation of several individuals involved in the recruitment sector. On July 5, he met Expatriates’ Welfare Minister Ariful Haque at the ministry to discuss the Malaysian labour market.

According to ministry sources, Hall raised concerns about aspects of the planned reopening and issues related to the Foreign Workers Centralised Management System (FWCMS), Malaysia’s recruitment platform for foreign workers.

Ministry officials alleged that Hall’s visit had been arranged by a group led by former BAIRA Joint Secretary Fakrul Islam, who sought to influence the government’s approach to the reopening.

Officials further claimed that Fakrul proposed appointing Hall as a foreign lobbyist, a suggestion the minister declined.

The sources also alleged that Hall became visibly frustrated during the meeting. They said the minister maintained a diplomatic approach and concluded the discussion courteously.

A ministry official said Hall introduced himself as a labour rights activist and an expert on Malaysia’s labour market but added that his views did not alter the government’s position on reopening the market.

Speaking to journalists afterwards, Hall said: “I came to Bangladesh hoping to contribute constructively to migration and labour development during what is an exciting period following the 2026 election. However, I was disappointed with the high-level government meeting on July 5.”

He said he had arrived in Bangladesh on July 1 and spent several days meeting recruiting agencies, civil society representatives and migrant worker groups.
“I advocated for a labour market that is open to all.

Unfortunately, my meeting with government officials was not productive,” Hall said.

Meanwhile, some business figures familiar with the matter alleged that Hall had been invited by individuals associated with so-called “counter-setting” recruitment practices.

They identified businessman Altab Hossain of Afifa Overseas and Fakrul Islam of the Human Resource Development Centre as being involved in the initiative. These allegations could not be independently verified.

The same sources also alleged that Hall met migration activists linked to BRAC Malaysia during his visit.

They further claimed that representatives of the Malaysia International Security Organisation for Foreign Nationals had visited Bangladesh in September 2024 at the invitation of the same group and had sought suspension of the FWCMS.

According to the sources, a general diary was later filed with Paltan Police Station, and investigators found the visitors were not official representatives of the Malaysian government. Those claims could not be independently verified.