Halt ‘syndicate recruitment' of Bangladeshi workers, Santiago tells govt
PETALING JAYA : Former Klang MP Charles Santiago has called on Malaysia to heed Bangladesh's call to get rid of the 'syndicate' system used to recruit Bangladeshi migrant workers.
Asif Nazrul, an adviser to Bangladesh's expatriates' welfare and overseas employment ministry, said yesterday that Dhaka could impose a moratorium on sending its nationals to Malaysia unless the current agreement on worker recruitment is amended.
Santiago, the co-chair of Asean Parliamentarians for Human Rights, said Bangladeshi workers are forced to pay between RM20,000 and RM30,000 to secure jobs in Malaysia, forcing them into debt before they even set foot in the country.
He said recruitment syndicates are able to charge such high fees as the current 'toothless' memorandum of understanding on the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers does not provide for any fines or licence revocations.
'What we need is a binding bilateral labour agreement. Without one, syndicates will keep trafficking workers, industries will keep bleeding cash, and Malaysia will keep facing global disgrace.
'There is no recourse for workers who are forced into slavery like conditions. A binding pact means real penalties, transparency, and zero costs for workers.
'The government owes it to workers, employers, and the public to show real leadership and fix a fundamentally flawed system that breeds corruption,' he said in a statement.
In 2021, Malaysia and Bangladesh signed an MoU on the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers, which is effective until December 2026. The agreement stipulates that a list of recruiting agencies be provided for Malaysia to select from.
In a report in Bangladesh's The Daily Star yesterday, Asif said the agreement, which was signed by Bangladesh's previous government, should be amended as it allowed a syndicate of recruiting agencies to operate.
'Now that we've taken over, everyone is saying the syndicate system must be abolished,' he was quoted as saying, referring to the interim government under Muhammad Yunus.
'If they refuse, we have two options – follow their terms and send workers through 25, 50 or 100 agencies, or stop sending workers altogether.'
He also said Malaysia is expected to recruit 30,000 to 40,000 workers from Bangladesh over the next year.
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