Bangladesh clears Malaysia of labour abuse claims, says HR ministry
Human resources minister Steven Sim with Asif Nazrul, adviser to Bangladesh's Expatriates' Welfare Ministry (right), and Lutfey Siddiqi, special envoy for international affairs (left). (HR Ministry pic)
PETALING JAYA : The Bangladeshi government has confirmed that Malaysia was not involved in any misconduct concerning the recruitment or treatment of Bangladeshi workers, and voiced its support for Malaysia's firm stance against forced labour and human trafficking.
This assurance came during a courtesy visit to human resources minister Steven Sim by two senior Bangladeshi officials – Asif Nazrul, adviser to the expatriates' welfare and overseas employment ministry, and Lutfey Siddiqi, special envoy for international affairs.
In a statement, the human resources ministry thanked Bangladesh for recognising Malaysia's efforts to reform the foreign worker recruitment system and crack down on abuse.
'The Bangladeshi side confirmed that Malaysia was not involved in any of the previously raised allegations and voiced its support for our principled and firm stance against human trafficking,' it said.
Earlier today, Bloomberg reported that Malaysia had asked Bangladesh to review and withdraw 'unsubstantiated allegations' of wrongdoing in labour migration between the two countries to improve Malaysia's rating in an annual US report on human trafficking.
A letter dated April 23, reportedly sent to Neyamat Ullah Bhuiyan, senior secretary of Bangladesh's expatriates' welfare ministry, conveyed Malaysia's concern about the potential impact of the allegations.
During today's meeting, the ministry said Sim stressed that foreign worker recruitment should be driven by genuine industry needs, and not for profit.
'This approach aligns with the government's commitment to a more transparent, ethical, and responsibly managed labour system,' it added in the statement.
Both nations also agreed to strengthen their coordination through the Joint Working Group (JWG), which will reconvene on May 21-22 in Dhaka to address technical matters related to labour management.
'This visit signals a shared resolve by Malaysia and Bangladesh to build a cross-border labour system grounded in integrity, human rights, and fairness,' the ministry added.
Malaysia to recruit nearly 8,000 stranded workers
Putrajaya has also agreed to begin processing 7,964 Bangladeshi workers from among the more than 17,000 who were unable to enter Malaysia before the May 31, 2024 deadline, despite meeting all conditions.
'As proposed by Bangladesh, the recruitment process of those workers will be handled by Bangladesh Overseas Employment Services Limited (BOESL),' the Bangladesh high commission in Kuala Lumpur said in a separate statement.
The Bangladeshi delegation also held a separate meeting with home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, from whom they requested multiple-entry visas for their workers.
'The Malaysian government informed that they are currently working on a proposal to revisit the provision of a single-entry visa for Bangladeshi workers,' the statement read.
The statement also noted that Bangladesh urged Malaysia to consider hiring more skilled and professional Bangladeshi workers, including nurses, doctors, and security personnel.
'The Malaysian minister took positive note of the proposal, especially for the recruitment of nurses and agreed to work at the technical level to explore opportunities for migration in those sectors,' it read.
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