Malaysian labor market reopens amid ambiguity, secrecy at every step
Graphics: Agamir Somoy
The process of sending Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia has begun with ambiguities galore surrounding key details of the entire process. Last Monday, the Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia attested the demand letter for 28 Bangladeshi workers submitted by a recruiting agency. Top officials from the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment confirmed this information to Agamir Somoy.
One official said, "A confusion was created after this came to light. They provided the attestation on September 28. On the 29th (Tuesday), a letter then stated that it was experimental. But it is not experimental; it is actually operational."
However, without clarifying whether the Malaysian labor market has officially reopened, the Minister of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Ariful Haque Choudhury told media, "We will hold a roundtable conference in a day or two involving media personnel and researchers working on this topic. Taking everyone's opinion into account, we will discuss how to begin the journey and see if anyone has suggestions." Sources concerned indicate that the meeting is likely to take place at the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare next week.
Migration experts note that ambiguity persists regarding the reopening process of the Malaysian labor market after a two-year suspension. Specifically, the government has provided no directives on which sectors will be open or when worker recruitment will officially start. Typically, such guidelines establish the legal framework, responsibilities, and cost structures for the entire process. However, hyper-secrecy is being observed among the relevant ministry and officials regarding the Malaysian labor market issue.
Malaysia is the second-largest source of remittances for Bangladesh after Saudi Arabia, with approximately two million Bangladeshi workers currently employed there. The market was suspended in both 2018 and 2024 due to allegations of syndicates, corruption, and exorbitant fees.
As part of the process to reopen the market, the Foreign Workers Centralized Management System (FWCMS)—Malaysia’s digital platform for foreign worker recruitment—published a list of 25 Bangladeshi recruiting agencies on August 21. Later, the state-run Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOESL) was included, alongside 312 associate recruiting agencies.
Five-Member Monitoring Committee
Ministry sources revealed that a five-member coordination and monitoring committee comprising officials from the ministry and its subordinate agencies has been formed regarding the deployment of Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia. The order was issued last Wednesday through a letter signed by Deputy Secretary Md. Anisur Rahman.
Secretary of the Ministry Md. Mokhtar Ahmed has been named the convener of the committee, with Deputy Secretary Hedaayetul Islam Mondal serving as the member secretary. The remaining three members are Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Hafizur Rahman Chowdhury, Executive Director of BOESL Md. Shawkat Ali, and Additional Director to the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) Md. Sharifuuzzaman.
The office order said, "In light of the reopening of the Malaysian labor market, this committee has been formed to make the deployment of Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia more transparent, disciplined, and accountable."
BOESL Still "Unaware": Some sources indicate that on August 28, the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare issued a press release saying that, at the special request of Bangladesh, Malaysia had agreed to recruit 10,000 Bangladeshi workers at "zero cost." The first batch was to be sent via chartered flights through BOESL, thereby reopening the Malaysian labor market.
However, Executive Director of BOESL Md. Shawkat Ali stated that they had not received any official letter regarding this matter as of last Wednesday. He told Agamir Somoy, "We have not received any letter yet. We are currently still sending the workers who were stranded from the previous batch (2024)."
It was learned that after Malaysia’s foreign worker recruitment platform FWCMS published the list of 25 Bangladeshi agencies on August 21, the agencies have not remained idle. They are buying demand letters with money, while BOESL is unable to secure demand in the same manner. As soon as Malaysian companies seeking workers at zero cost submit their requirements, BOESL will begin sending workers.
Entire Process Questioned:
Migration expert Asif Munir believes the entire process regarding the Malaysian labor market is questionable. Speaking to Agamir Somoy, he said, "The primary reason the entire process is being questioned is the haste. Had the process been properly established first before opening the labor market, it could have been definitively called transparent. But now it appears as though the government wants to quickly reopen the market at any cost to claim political credit—specifically to demonstrate that the current government succeeded where the previous government failed." Asif Munir considers that it would be better to proceed at a slower pace to establish a complete and transparent mechanism.
He further added that all stakeholders should be engaged while formulating this process—including migration experts, NGOs, representatives of recruiting agencies, trade unions, and the media. At present, it appears the private sector is excluded during the deliberation phase, with decisions being taken solely by the governments of Bangladesh and Malaysia. However, involving all parties in these discussions is essential to ensure transparency.
