Recruiters against Malaysian labour market syndication

Bangladeshi manpower recruiters are continuing their move against the syndication proposal from the Malaysian side and demanded prevention of a 25-agency syndicate for sending workers to Malaysia.

At a press conference on Wednesday at the National Press Club, they reiterated their demand of opening up the Malaysian labour market to all legal agencies.

Leaders of the "Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baria) Sammilito Somonnoy Front" demanded an open and transparent labour migration system.

"The Malaysian labour market is yet to reopen for Bangladesh because of the mismanagement of a syndicate despite an MoU signed last year. If a limited number of recruiting agencies are allowed to work, labour migration will slow down and hundreds of agencies will be deprived of their fair share," said Mohammad Faruq, president of the platform.

Besides, irregularities, corruption, and immigration costs will rise sharply, he added.

Earlier on Tuesday, another group of manpower recruiters also submitted a memorandum to the ministry concerned against the syndication.

Malaysia hires migrant workers from 13 different countries without any syndicated consortium of recruiters. So, it will be quite disrespectful if the syndication clause only applies to Bangladesh, the recruiters said.  

Malaysia's door to Bangladesh workers has been closed since 2018, following syndicated manpower recruitment by 10 Bangladeshi agencies since 2015.

Local recruiters claim the same group is now actively lobbying both at home and abroad so that Dhaka eventually agrees to Kuala Lumpur's proposal.  

A debate over syndication in labour recruitment for Malaysia is currently ongoing, especially after Dhaka and Kuala Lumpur signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in this regard on 19 December last year.

At the heart of the debate is a syndicate of 25 Bangladeshi agents and 250 sub-agents (selected by the 25 agencies) to send workers to Malaysia, mentioned by the Malaysian Human Resources Minister in a letter to the Bangladesh Expatriates' Welfare Minister on 14 January.

Responding to the letter, Bangladesh sent a letter to the Malaysian government, reiterating its position against any syndication, which was lauded by Bangladeshi recruiters.

Malaysia has in principle reopened its labour market with the MoU after stopping taking workers from Bangladesh for three years since 2018.