The New Nation - Internet Edition

Syful Islam

As a result of corrupt practices by the unscrupulous manpower exporters and their equally deceitful counterparts in Malaysia, Bangladesh is poised to lose one of its important remitance markets, as Malaysian government has decided not to recruit any more workers from this country.

The official BARNAMA news agency reported yesterday that the Malaysian Cabinet decided to stop recruitment of manpower from Bangladesh, as the 'process has caused problems to the country.’

Following the decision, sending of 100,000 more approved Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia has become uncertain. At present Malaysia is hosting about 200,000 Bangladeshi workers.

Malaysian Government earlier in 1999 had suspended importing of Bangladeshi manpower due to various problems. The Government resumed recruitment of Bangladeshi manpower this year following fruitful discussion with the previous four-party alliance government

Home Minister of Malaysia Datuk Seri Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad in the Parliament said there were now too many workers and agents from Bangladesh in Malaysia.

He said the presence of such agents who used Malaysians as sub-agents and earn a huge amount of money "are not a healthy sign, it is not good for the country".

Talking to newsmen Mohd Radzi said Malaysia could recruit workers from 10 other countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Nepal and Laos.

"For the time being, we won't be taking in Bangladeshi workers," he said, adding that the freeze involved fresh applications for workers from that country.

Mohd Radzi said Malaysia had also inked agreements to hire workers from several other countries including Kazakhstan.

The minister said that Malaysia froze the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers back in 1999 because of various problems. Besides problems related to the agents, the workers themselves were causing many social woes, he said.

More than a hundred Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia began demonstration during the first week of September in protest against the poor working conditions in that country. They had been on a hunger strike on the premises of the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysian police picked up 82 agitating Bangladeshi workers and handed them over to Tenaganita, a local human rights organisation.

The government of Bangladesh lodged a formal complaint with the Malaysian authorities seeking stern action against Malaysian company PTC Asia Pacific for failing to provide appropriate jobs and facilities to Bangladeshi recruits.

The government also sent a three-member enquiry team led by Expatriates' Welfare Secretary Abdul Matin Chowdhury to Malaysia to probe the incidents.

Sources said returning back from Malaysia the commitee recommended termination of the driver of labour wing in Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur Jasimuddin, withdrawal of two administrative officers and cautioning of Labour Counsellor Talat Mahmud.

The commitee said the four officials of the High Commission were behind the plight of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia. They earned huge sum through issuing fake certificates and work permits, which caused problems to the Bangladeshi workers, the commitee said.