Malaysia’s Alleged Plan to Take 200,000 Workers Does Not Represent Bangladesh’s Official Stance – Fahmi

PUTRAJAYA: The statement by a Bangladeshi minister claiming that Malaysia plans to take 200,000 workers from the country does not represent the official position of that nation’s government, said Unity Government spokesman Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil.

Fahmi said he had contacted Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan regarding the matter and was informed that the statement was made by a junior minister and should not be considered an official announcement by the Bangladeshi government.

“I have contacted the Human Resources Minister on the matter and he informed me that it was not an official statement from the Bangladeshi government.

“It (the statement) was issued by a, as I understand it, a junior minister, so it does not represent an official decision by the Bangladeshi government,” he said at a press conference following today’s Cabinet meeting.

Bangladesh’s Deputy Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, Mir Shahe Alam, had said Malaysia plans to take approximately 200,000 Bangladeshi workers within the next six months.

He was reported to have said that the workers would be recruited through companies approved by the Malaysian authorities, while the recruitment process would begin in stages at the end of September and is expected to be completed within six months.

In June, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister, Tarique Rahman, had asked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to consider reopening Malaysia’s labour market to Bangladeshi workers.

Malaysia had restricted the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers in 2024 following reports of exploitation, including debt bondage, forced labour, and workers arriving in the country without the jobs promised to them.

Berita Harian