Malaysia could flip Bangladeshi ‘dumping floor’ if unchecked: HR Minister

The Malaysian authorities has expressed considerations over the growing migration of Bangladeshi staff to the nation, reported The Free Malaysia Today. According to Human Resources Minister M Saravanan, Malaysia would possibly flip right into a ‘dumping ground’ if the inflow of Bangladeshi residents remained unchecked. The improvement got here on the backdrop of the request by the Bangladeshi authorities to extend the variety of permitted labour recruitment businesses from Bangladesh to 2000 from 10. He knowledgeable that each the nations have been discussing Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) for over a 12 months, pertaining to labour recruitment.
While elevating his objections in opposition to the proposed approval of 2000 labour recruitment businesses, M Saravanan emphasised, “If so many agencies (from there) want to send their foreign workers here, Malaysia could become a dumping ground…Before this, 10 companies could bring in foreign labour from Bangladesh. (While) I do believe it has to be expanded to more than 10, the situation has to be controlled.”
The Malaysian HRD Minister knowledgeable {that a} ultimate resolution on the proposed MoU will probably be taken inside 2 weeks, after mandatory deliberations within the Cabinet. He knowledgeable that he has acquired a ultimate draft of the MoU and he’ll convey it as much as the Cabinet.
In September 2018, the Malaysian authorities had suspended the Foreign Employee Application System (SPPA) for Bangladeshi staff, which solely allowed the recruitment of Bangladeshi staff by 10 chosen businesses. After that, negotiations between the 2 nations had began with reference to a rise within the variety of businesses, which lasted round two years. Bangladesh has proposed to extend the variety of recruitment businesses to 2000, which the Malaysian Human Resources Minister is objecting to.
Under the earlier system, Bangladeshi staff reportedly needed to fork out as much as RM20,000 (Rs 3.54 lakh) per particular person to pay brokers to facilitate work allow approvals and different preparations to work in Malaysia. This system can also be being reformed now.
M Saravanan added that his authorities was targeted on stopping pressured labour, withholding of wages, extreme time beyond regulation and abusive working situations. He stated that a web based platform named the Working for Workers (WFW) app was launched to register the grievances of staff. He concluded that motion had been taken in 95% of the overall 12000 complaints.
The minister additionally knowledgeable that the Malaysian authorities has agreed to ratify the International Labour Organization’s Protocol 29, the protocol to the Forced Labour Convention. “The government has also endorsed Malaysia’s participation as a Pathfinder country under the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Alliance 8.7,” he stated.