The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry yesterday contradicted a recent media report saying Kuala Lumpur was set to send some two lakh Bangladeshi workers back home as they stayed there for over 12 years.

"The Malaysian government so far has not taken any decision to return foreign workers who have been staying there for over 12 years," the ministry said in a statement.

Moreover, it said, even if Kuala Lumpur took any such decision the number of Bangladeshi workers working there for over 12 years could be as high as "2,000, not two lakh".

The statement, said, the foreign workers needed to renew their work permits every year in Malaysia and already Kuala Lumpur renewed the 13th annual work permits of many Bangladeshi workers.

It said, Bangladesh embassy in Kuala Lumpur earlier requested the authorities there to renew the 13th annual work permit to Bangladeshi workers and the Malaysian government was issuing the documents after necessary examinations.

"If Malaysia stops issuing the work permits for overseas workers staying there for more than 12 years, the decision will be applicable for all foreign workers there, not only the Bangladeshis alone," the statement said.

It acknowledged that recently Malaysia decided to reduce the number of illegal workers in that country.

"Yet the authorities there is considering to allow fresh recruitment of workers from Bangladesh while several Malaysian companies were allowed to recruit new manpower from Bangladesh," the statement said.

Officials said, until July 2006, the number of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia was 68,000 and of them only 8,000 went there through a "u turn".

Over 53,000 Bangladeshi workers went to Malaysia from January 1 to June 23 this year.