KATHMANDU: Malaysian recruitment companies have protested the agreement reached between the Malaysia-based Foreign Workers Welfare Management Center and the Foreign Employment Promotion Board Nepal.
The Association of Employment Agencies Malaysia has expressed objections to the agreement, stating that it is against the interests of the workers. Suresh Tan, vice president of the Association of Employment Agencies Malaysia, said that the agreement will not only impose an additional financial burden on workers but will also jeopardize bilateral relations.
According to the agreement signed on December 6, 2003, workers heading to Malaysia will have to pay an additional RM 200 (approximately Rs 6,500).
“Nepal government should not appoint a third-party and force Malaysian employers to pay the additional fee,” Tan told New Strait Times. “I feel this is unnecessary as our government has our laws in place and the welfare of the migrant workers is the responsibility of their employer here, not a third party. The Nepal government should discuss this matter with our government and find the best way to handle this sort of matter.”
He added that the memorandum of understanding with all source countries must be standardized, emphasizing that the objective should be to reduce hiring costs to prevent unethical and unfair job placements.
Nepali recruitment companies have also protested the agreement, taking to the streets to express their objections. After the agreement sparked controversy, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Foreign Minister NP Saud stated that the agreement would not be implemented immediately. Prime Minister Dahal has directed the Minister for Labor, Employment, and Social Security not to implement the agreement.
As per the agreement reached on December 6, the implementation was scheduled to come into implementation on January 1.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian government has reversed its decision to stop recruiting foreign workers in 2024. Malaysia’s Home Minister, Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, has invited Human Resources Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong to discuss a proposal for approving the visas of migrant workers on January 16 before presenting it to the cabinet. However, he has not specified when the recruitment process will resume.
A study conducted by the National Association of Private Employment Agencies Malaysia shows that over 500,000 migrant workers in Malaysia are jobless. The Malaysian government has been maintaining that over 900,000 migrant workers are staying illegally in Malaysia with the support of employer companies.
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s Human Resource Minister, Steven Sim Chee Keong, has said that the government will deport migrant workers staying illegally in the country if the number claimed by recruitment companies is verified.
