Migrants in a boat
Jehangir Hussain
Malaysia has indefinitely postponed recruiting foreign workers claiming that the quota of hiring foreign has been filled up.
However, decision to postpone hiring foreign workers will not affect the recruitment of Bangladeshis already in progress.
According to the recruiting agency and Bangladesh Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry sources, Malaysia has already approved work permits for three lakh workers of Bangladesh out of a quota of nine lakh for foreign workers.
Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) Secretary General Ali Haider Chowdhury said on Saturday that he has heard about such a move by the Malaysian government from reliable sources.
“We have heard that Malaysia postponed the quota application and approval of foreign workers as their quota for hiring workers has already filled up. Until further notice, the process will remain suspended,” he said, adding, “It is a regular process in Malaysia. After completing the previous quota, they will again seek applications from migrant workers. This is why they have postponed the process.”
On Saturday, Malaysian Human Resource Minister V Sivakumar, in a statement, said that the decision was made after the ministry approved a total of 995,396 employment quotas for foreign workers from various sectors as of March 14. The approval of the foreign worker quota so far is expected to be able to meet the needs of foreign labour by industries, including in critical sectors.
Till February, Bangladesh sent 1.04 lakh workers to Malaysia since last August as the market resumed after four years.
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