Bangladesh wants to rehaul MoU on its workers to get rid of ‘syndicate'
PETALING JAYA : An adviser to Bangladesh's expatriates' welfare and overseas employment ministry wants an overhaul of the agreement made with Malaysia on the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers to get rid of the 'syndicate' system.
Asif Nazrul said failure to amend the agreement could see the country impose a moratorium on sending its nationals over to Malaysia, the country's The Daily Star reported.
Asif said Bangladesh's previous government had signed an agreement which stipulated that a list of recruiting agencies be provided for Malaysia to select from.
He said this formal agreement between the two parties was akin to a 'syndicate'.
'Now that we've taken over, everyone is saying the syndicate system must be abolished,' Asif was quoted as saying, referring to the interim government under Muhammad Yunus.
He said to get rid of the syndicate system, the agreement between Bangladesh and Malaysia needed to be amended.
However, he conceded that they could not 'force Malaysia to change' the agreement.
'If they refuse, we have two options – follow their terms and send workers through 25, 50 or 100 agencies, or stop sending workers altogether,' Asif said.
He said Malaysia is expected to recruit 30,000 to 40,000 workers from Bangladesh over the next year.
In May, former Klang MP Charles Santiago told FMT that Malaysia and Bangladesh must discuss putting an end to cartels in the labour recruitment market.
Santiago said the current system and processes needed to be reformed, referring to the way recruitment agents allegedly linked to cartels operated by charging fees as high as RM20,000 for Bangladeshi workers to work in Malaysia.
In 2021, Malaysia and Bangladesh signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers. It was effective for five years until December 2026.
It was signed by then human resources minister M Saravanan and Bangladesh's expatriates' welfare and overseas employment minister Imran Ahmad.
Saravanan had then said that the MoU outlined the responsibilities of the Malaysian employers, the workers from Bangladesh as well as the duties of private employment agencies in both countries.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Free Malaysia Today
an hour ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Don't use expanded SST as pretext to raise room rates, hoteliers told
Malaysian Association of Hotels vice-president Khoo Boo Lim was reported as saying hoteliers have no choice but to pass the added costs of the SST on to consumers. (Envato Elements pic) PETALING JAYA : The expansion of the sales and service tax (SST) does not warrant the hotel room rate increases asserted by some hotel associations, says the finance ministry. The ministry clarified that the SST revisions effective July 1 do not include changes to the service tax applied to accommodation or food and beverages at hotels, Bernama reported. 'The SST revisions do not affect basic daily goods, but may affect hotels indirectly through the expansion of service tax to cover rental on commercial properties, and also sales tax on selected food items such as premium seafood and imported fruits. 'However, these indirect impacts are unlikely to translate to increases of 10% to 15% in costs faced by hotels,' the ministry said. Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) vice-president Khoo Boo Lim was reported as saying hoteliers have no choice but to pass the added costs of the SST on to consumers. Negeri Sembilan MAH chapter chairman Haziz Hassan said the rate hikes could be between 10% and 15%. The ministry warned that if hotels raise rates under the pretext of the expanded SST, the tourism, art and culture ministry will examine the matter to prevent unreasonable price increases.
Free Malaysia Today
an hour ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Malaysia, France reaffirm call for Gaza ceasefire
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and French President Emmanuel Macron at the press conference held outside the Elysee Palace in Paris. (Bernama pic) PARIS : Malaysia and France on Friday reaffirmed their stand for a ceasefire in Gaza and for humanitarian aid to get through. The call was made by French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim during a press conference at the Elysee Palace here. Macron said both he and Anwar agreed that a permanent ceasefire must take place in Gaza, adding that the release of hostages must also be implemented. He said a two-state solution is the best way to resolve the issue of Palestine-Israel. 'We are working with several parties, among them Saudi (Arabia), towards this. For now, Israel must allow for aid to reach Gaza,' he said. At the press conference held before their bilateral meeting, Anwar praised Macron for his passion to try and resolve the conflict in Gaza. 'Of course, we have condemned the continued bombings and atrocities inflicted upon civilians, women and children. And it's a shame that the international community is not able to resolve this,' he said. 'So, your initiative was supported by us. No question about peace, and if it takes two sides to secure peace, I agree with you. That's why we have also committed to the two-state solution.' Anwar said Malaysia also condemns the Israeli aggression on Iran and will continue to support France's efforts to bring peace in the Middle East. 'I don't think we can deny the issue of the use of nuclear for peaceful means. Nuclear non-proliferation, proliferation, or even power, cannot be seen to be selective,' he said. 'If you say no to Iran, (and) you say yes to Israel, we have a problem; try and resolve that. But I agree with you, we must impress upon Iran to use this for peaceful methods and peaceful means and allow for inspection, which they have given a commitment.' Macron said Iran must unequivocally reaffirm its support for the Non-Proliferation Treaty and withdraw its law limiting cooperation with the IAEA. He said Iran must also agree to a deal that will lead to the end of uranium enrichment in Iran, while allowing the country to benefit from the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. 'This has been the focus of my discussions with the Iranian president, as well as with Russian President Vladimir Putin and, just yesterday, with American President Donald Trump. I will continue talks in the coming days with other members of the Security Council. 'We also want an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine. 'We condemn just as firmly the attacks on civilian populations. This war of aggression launched by Russia has consequences far beyond Europe. We are now seeing this with the deployment of North Korean soldiers on European soil,' he said.
Free Malaysia Today
an hour ago
- Free Malaysia Today
AirAsia to purchase 70 Airbus A321XLR jets for over RM50bil
AirAsia said it intends to use its new Airbus A321XLR fleet to serve Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe, among others. (EPA Images pic) PARIS : The signing of an agreement between AirAsia and Airbus for the purchase of A321XLR aircraft will further strengthen the airline's operational capabilities for short- and medium-haul routes, says Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Speaking after witnessing the signing ceremony here on Friday, Anwar said the acquisition will not only enable the airline to expand its network but also support Malaysia's aspiration to emerge as a leading aviation hub in Asia. Earlier, AirAsia inked a memorandum of understanding with Airbus for 50 A321XLRs with conversion rights for another 20 A321XLRs. The deal is worth US$12.25 billion (RM51.72 billion) with deliveries confirmed by 2028. The low-cost carrier said the new fleet is targeted to serve Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe, among others. The agreement was signed by Capital A Bhd's CEO, Tony Fernandes, and Airbus Commercial Aircraft's CEO, Christian Scherer, witnessed by Anwar. Fernandes said the next-generation A321XLRs will operate alongside AirAsia's all-Airbus fleet of A320 family and A330 aircraft, and aims to carry 150 million guests annually by 2030, reaching a cumulative total of 1.5 billion guests since inception. He said AirAsia plans to finance the aircraft order through bank leases. He also confirmed that the group is set to announce another aircraft order next month, but declined to provide further details. Anwar also witnessed the MoU exchange between 3P Capital Advisers and Ardian, a leading private investment firm from France, for the exploration of investment opportunities in the private markets. The private sector initiative can give Malaysians a wider access to alternative investments, Anwar said. During his meeting with Imerys, an industrial mineral processing company that has been operating in Malaysia for over 25 years, Anwar said the company expressed its commitment to expand operations and support the development of a high-value, environmentally-friendly manufacturing sector in the country. Anwar also held a meeting with the management of Arkema, a global leader in specialty chemicals, which is evaluating potential new investments in Malaysia. According to him, the company can potentially create more high-skilled jobs, expedite technology transfer, and enhance Malaysia's position as a major bioeconomy hub in the Asian region. Anwar led a Malaysian delegation to the French capital in conjunction with a two-day official visit to the country.
