Published: Saturday August 11, 2012 MYT 5:59:00 PM

Govt-to-govt recruitment of Bangladeshi workers?

By A. LETCHUMANAN

KUALA LUMPUR: Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam will study a proposal by Bangladesh that both countries eliminate middlemen in the recruitment of foreign workers when he visits Dhaka soon.

“We want to look at a mechanism to bring in the workers through a government-to-government deal,” he told reporters after officiating an Under-12 and Under-16 football tournament organised by the Malaysian Indian Football Association here on Saturday.

He said the Malaysian delegation is expected to leave for Bangladesh after the Hari Raya celebrations.

“Besides the officials of the Human Resources, there will also be officials from the Home Ministry and other relevant agencies in the delegation,” he said.

Dr Subramaniam said the Cabinet Committee on Foreign Workers and Illegal Immigrants agreed to the trip to Dhaka following an appeal by Bangladesh for Malaysia to reconsider recruiting their workers.

Malaysia imposed an indefinite ban on the intake of Bangladeshi workers in 2007 following numerous cases and complaints of exploitation by employers and recruitment agents here.

He said the Government-to-Government mechanism is to ensure a better recruitment process and reduce the costs incurred in sending workers overseas.

Dr Subramaniam said 267,000 Bangladesh workers had registered to be legalised under the Malaysian Government's 6P amnesty programme.

There are some 400,000 Bangladeshis working in Malaysia, with most of them concentrated in sectors such as manufacturing, construction, plantations, agriculture and the service industry.

He said the government would consider recruiting the workers from Bangladesh for the plantation and manufacturing sector if a suitable mechanism is established.

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