Malaysia lists 25 agencies for hiring Bangladeshi workers
Collected Photo
Malaysia’s Foreign Workers Centralized Management System (FWCMS) has published a list of 25 recruiting agencies authorized to hire workers from Bangladesh.
FWCMS published the list on its official website on Friday. However, the platform has not yet clarified when or how the process of sending workers from Bangladesh will begin, nor has it explained how it selected these listed agencies.
The listed agencies include Bangladesh One Overseas Limited, Bengal Human Resources Development, General Trading Company, M/S United Gulf Services, Anessa Air International, At-Taqwa Overseas Limited, Earth-Smart Bangladesh Limited, Khan Jahan Ali Overseas, M/S Al-Shupto Overseas, Motherland Overseas Limited, Rifa International, Valley Trade International, A-Plus International, Al-Hayat Overseas, Bhaluka Overseas, Brothers Trading and Contracting Limited, Chandpur International, Country Employment Agency, Goodness Services Limited, Jewel Rinku Enterprise, M/S Satkhira International, Mangrove Career Link, Neighbors Associates Limited, Tania Trade International, and Anchor Care Global Migration.
The publication of this list of 25 agencies by FWCMS comes as leaders of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) have been demanding that the Malaysian labor market remain open to all recruiting agencies.
Prior to this, in 2015, the Malaysian government permitted recruitment from Bangladesh through only 10 selected recruiting agencies. These agencies later became known in the sector as the syndicate.
Then, in 2022, 25 agencies received the work to send workers. Reports indicate that five of those agencies belonged to ministers and MPs of the then-government, while several of the remaining agencies belonged to Awami League leaders or their close associates.
Although the government fixed the migration cost per worker at Tk 79,000 during that period, allegations arose that the agencies charged an average of Tk 5,44,000 per worker. Following these allegations of corruption, the Malaysian labor market for Bangladeshis shut down on 31 May 2024.
The market has not reopened since. At that time, around 17,000 workers failed to travel to Malaysia despite completing all official procedures. During Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s visit to Malaysia last June, he proposed reopening the country’s labor market.
Following this, Bangladesh provided Malaysia with a list of 423 recruiting agencies that fulfilled eight specific conditions. Amid these ongoing bilateral discussions between the two countries, Malaysia’s FWCMS has now released this list of 25 agencies.
