Malaysia jobs need fairness, not exploitation

Rights activists have urged the government to ensure transparency, accountability and worker protection in its efforts to reopen the Malaysian labour market for Bangladeshi workers.

The Trade Union-Civil Society Action Alliance (TUCSAA) made the call in a statement on Tuesday, expressing concern over recent developments surrounding Bangladesh’s move to restore labour migration to Malaysia.

The alliance said reopening the Malaysian labour market is an urgent national priority, but warned that past governance failures must not be repeated.

Malaysia remains one of the key overseas employment destinations for Bangladeshi workers. However, the previous recruitment system faced allegations of syndication, limited market access, high migration costs and unequal opportunities for recruiting agencies.

The suspension of recruitment left thousands of aspiring migrant workers in uncertainty and exposed serious weaknesses in Bangladesh’s migration governance, the statement said.

TUCSAA also said many Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia had earlier faced unpaid wages, passport confiscation, contract substitution, poor accommodation and limited access to justice.

These experiences show the need for a recruitment system that protects workers throughout the migration cycle, not only before departure, it said.

The alliance said recent diplomatic engagement between Bangladesh and Malaysia has created an opportunity to rebuild the labour migration partnership on a fairer basis.

However, it said reopening the market should not merely mean resuming worker deployment. Instead, it should mark a shift towards a transparent, accountable and worker-friendly recruitment system.

TUCSAA urged the government to move beyond broad memoranda of understanding and pursue clear and enforceable bilateral labour agreements with Malaysia.

Such agreements should include defined commitments on recruitment procedures, workers’ rights, wages, occupational safety, grievance redress, dispute resolution and joint monitoring, the alliance said.

It also called for broader reforms, including stronger oversight, transparent recruitment, better coordination among government agencies, modernised skills development and meaningful participation of trade unions, civil society organisations and migrant representatives.

The alliance said decisions taken now would shape not only Bangladesh’s labour migration ties with Malaysia but also the country’s credibility as a labour-sending nation.

It warned that without reform, migrant workers may continue to face high migration costs and exploitation.

TUCSAA said the success of reopening the Malaysian labour market should not be measured only by the number of workers sent abroad, but also by the fairness, protection and dignity they receive.