Dhaka-KL reach accord on workers: Legislation to tighten recruitment without job availability

Staff Reporter



Malaysia and Bangladesh yesterday reached an understanding to tighten legislation to ensure that Bangladeshi workers for the Malaysian manufacturing and plantation sectors are not recruited without the availability of jobs for them, according to a report carried out by a Malaysian news agency.

Malaysian National News Agency BERNAMA. quoted Human Resource Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam as saying that Bangladesh had given the assurance that it would enforce legislation strictly to monitor the activities of employment agencies in that country.

"It will look into resolving the issue of workers brought in by agents who end up without jobs in Malaysia," the Minister told reporters at the Parliament lobby in Malaysia.

Earlier, Subramaniam met with Bangladesh Minister of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and Bangladesh Acting High Commissioner ASM. Waisuzzaman at Parliament House.

Subramaniam said their discussions centred on the issue of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia and problems associated with the current global economic challenges.

He informed that about 450,000 Bangladeshis are now working in Malaysia.

Subramaniam said he was informed that Bangladesh constantly monitored the activities of its 8,001 employment agencies to ensure that only the necessary workers were brought out of the country to meet the employment needs abroad.

On the issue of workers' welfare, Subramaniam said the ministry had suggested that Bangladesh contact the Manpower Department directly to resolve the issues more effectively.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said the government's action on the issue of an abundance of foreign workers in Malaysia was in accordance with the law.

"We still use foreign workers, including those from Bangladesh, in the context of the manpower requirements. Both countries have cordial relations and we will ensure that our action is in accordance with the law," he said.

Source: http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/03/31/news0463.htm

Malaysia, Bangladesh Reach Accord On Workers

KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 (Bernama) -- Malaysia and Bangladesh today reached an understanding to tighten legislation to ensure that Bangladeshi workers for the Malaysian manufacturing and plantation sectors are not recruited without the availability of jobs for them.

Human Resource Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam said Bangladesh had given the assurance that it would enforce legislation strictly to monitor the activities of employment agencies in that country.

"It will look into resolving the issue of workers brought in by agents who end up without jobs in Malaysia," he told reporters at the Parliament lobby, here.

Earlier, Subramaniam met with Bangladesh Minister of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Khandker Mosharraf Hossain and Bangladesh Acting High Commissioner A.S.M. Waisuzzaman at Parliament House.

Subramaniam said their discussions centred on the issue of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia and problems associated with the current global economic challenges.

Six million Bangladeshis work abroad, among them 450,000 in Malaysia, he said.

Subramaniam said he was informed that Bangladesh constantly monitored the activities of its 8,001 employment agencies to ensure that only the necessary workers were brought out of the country to meet the employment needs abroad.

On the issue of workers' welfare, Subramaniam said the ministry had suggested that Bangladesh contact the Manpower Department directly to resolve the issues more effectively.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said the government's action on the issue of an abundance of foreign workers in Malaysia was in accordance with the law.

"We still use foreign workers, including from Bangladesh, in the context of the manpower requirements. Both countries have cordial relations and we will ensure that our action is in accordance with the law," he said.

-- BERNAMA

© 2009 BERNAMA. All Rights Reserved

Bangladesh asks Malaysia to restore visas for migrant workers

Dhaka - Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Dipu Moni on Saturday urged Malaysian authorities to reconsider the cancellation of visas for more than 55,000 Bangladeshi workers during the economic crisis, officials said. Moni met Malaysian International Trade and Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin bin Mohd in Kuala Lumpur as part of Bangladesh's diplomatic efforts to protect its overseas labour markets, a release issued by the embassy in Malaysia said. 

"Kuala Lumpur assured Dhaka of all possible cooperation to end the crisis" without offering guarantees, the release said. 

Moni argued that Bangladeshi employees, who are generally engaged in low-end jobs, do not compete with local Malaysian workers. 

Malaysia is the second-largest destination for Bangladeshi workers - with about 450,000 employed there - after Saudi Arabia. 

Bangladesh earned nearly 9 billion dollars in 2008 in remittances sent by workers abroad. The central bank suggested the government look for alternative manpower markets as the global crisis would likely hurt the flow of remittances. 

Yassin, who was expected to become Malaysia's new deputy prime minister, said that increased investment with Bangladesh would be one of his priorities. 

The Bangladesh foreign minister also met with retiring Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Haji Ahmad Badawi and his successor, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.

© 2009 www.earthtimes.org, The Earth Times, All Rights Reserved 

Bangladesh's FM to Visit Malaysia to Discuss Manpower Export Issues

Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Dipu Moni will visit Malaysia late this month to discuss manpower export issues as the Malaysian government recently canceled visas for some 55,000 Bangladesh jobseekers, a high official said on Sunday. 

The foreign minister is scheduled to fly to Malaysia on March 25 on a three-day visit, local television NTV reported on Sunday, quoting State Minister for Foreign Affairs Hasan Mahmud. 

Meanwhile, Bangladesh's Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain told reporters here on Sunday that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is ready to go to Malaysia, if necessary. 

Besides, the minister said he himself will also visit the South East Asian country to resolve the crisis over the workers' visa. 

Local reports said the Malaysian government in January slapped a ban on fresh recruitment of foreigners after a report forecast that 45,000 Malaysians would lose their jobs in the next few months. 

Last week, the Malaysian government canceled visas for some 55, 000 Bangladeshi workers, who are due to enter the country soon, the reports said. 

The Bangladeshi government have formally requested Malaysia to reconsider the decision and recruit the workers in the sectors where more workers are needed. 

Malaysia is one of the largest destinations for Bangladeshi overseas jobseekers and also one of the key sources of remittances for Dhaka.

According to the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agency, over 400,000 Bangladeshi workers are working in the country.

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MALAYSIA: Carrefour To Remove International Workers

Carrefour Malaysia has said it will phase out all its foreign workers, by not renewing their contract when it expires, as it moves to having a locals-only staff. Shafie Shamsuddin, MD of the local Carrefour unit, said the company currently employs around 350 workers from Indonesia and Bangladesh, and this number will be gradually reduced as their contracts expire. 

Currently, Carrefour has 17 outlets with more than 4,000 workers, and Shamsuddin added, "In the past three months, we have been employing 600 local workers and we are planning to grow our business gradually".

Namnews - Tuesday 17th March 2009

Bangladesh asks Malaysia to reconsider canceling visas for its jobseekers

 DHAKA, March 13 (Xinhua) -- The Bangladesh Thursday continued its efforts to request the Malaysian government to reconsider its decision on canceling visas for some 55,000 Bangladeshi jobseekers, the leading English-language newspaper The Daily Star reported on Friday. 

  Bangladesh's Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain Thursday wrote to the Malaysian home ministry, requesting it to reconsider the decision and recruit the workers in the sectors where more workers are needed, the newspaper said. 

  In the context of the ongoing global financial crisis, the Malaysian government Tuesday canceled visas for some 55,000 Bangladeshi jobseekers, who are due to enter the South East Asian country soon, officials said. 

  "Our ministry in collaboration with the expatriates' welfare and overseas employment ministry has discussed the matter with the Malaysian authorities and I hope a meaningful decision will come soon," Foreign Minister Dipu Moni was quoted as saying. 

  "The government especially the high officials of foreign and other ministries concerned are ready to go to Malaysia to deal with the situation," Moni told reporters here on Thursday. 

  She said the foreign secretary had already talked to the Malaysian high commissioner in Dhaka and made a formal request to reconsider the decision. 

  Local reports said, In January, the Malaysian government slapped a ban on fresh recruitment of foreigners after a report forecast that 45,000 Malaysians were going to lose their jobs in the next few months. 

  Bangladesh's Finance Minister AMA Muhith earlier said, "It will have a negative impact on our economy." 

  Malaysia is one of the largest destinations for Bangladesh overseas jobseekers and also one of the key sources of remittances for Dhaka. According to the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies, over 400,000 Bangladesh workers are working in the country. 

  Bangladesh received a record 92.44 million U.S. dollars remittances from Malaysia in 2007-2008 fiscal year (July 2007-June2008) against 11.8 million U.S. dollars in 2006-07 fiscal. 

  Remittance, sent mostly by the overseas workers, contributed to 12 percent of Bangladesh's GDP. 

  Bangladesh received about 9 billion U.S. dollars remittance in 2008 from more than 5.7 million Bangladeshis who were working and living abroad. 

Copyright ©2009 Xinhua News Agency. All rights reserved.

Malaysia cancels visas of 70,000 Bangladeshi workers

Kuala Lumpur, Mar 10 (PTI) Malaysia today cancelled the visas of 70,000 Bangladeshi workers, who were expected to arrive in the southeast Asian country soon to take up employment, due to the global financial crisis.
Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar also said the visas and levies amounting up to 9,000 ringgit (about one lakh rupees) which each worker had paid would be refunded.

Yesterday, the Malaysian Trades Union Congress called for the cancellation of these visas, noting that Malaysia was facing the possibility of losing thousands of jobs due to current economic meltdown and the influx of foreign workers would worsen the situation.

Earlier, Bangladeshi Labour Counsellor Talat Mahmud Khan said here that 70,000 Bangladeshi workers, who had approved visas, were expected to arrive in Malaysia soon to take up employment in the plantation, construction and services sectors.

Asking the government to revoke the visas of these Bangladeshis, MTUC Vice-President A Balasubramaniam yesterday said as Malaysians risked losing thousands of jobs, the travel documents of the foreign workers should be cancelled while they were still in their country of origin.

Malaysia heavily relies on foreign workers to help out in the plantations, construction and services sector.

The Human Resources Minister Subramaniam earlier said that the Bangladeshis would be employed in the plantation field as locals do not want to work in the sector.

PTI