Malaysia has renewed its Foreign Worker Management System (FWCMS) for another three years, continuing the recruitment of migrant workers from Bangladesh and 13 other countries.
Effective from June 1, the renewal includes revised terms that grant the Malaysian government greater control over the recruitment process and reduce fees paid to Bestinet, the recruitment agency.
According to Malaysiakini, a Malaysian news portal, the Malaysian cabinet approved the extension after reviewing a proposal from the home ministry. However, details of the agreement with Bestinet remain unclear.
The Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) welcomed the extension but urged the government to collect accurate data on stranded migrant workers and implement transparent measures to assist them in reaching Malaysia.
Two weeks ago, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment requested an extension from Malaysia’s Human Resources Ministry. This request followed Malaysia’s March announcement barring workers from Bangladesh and 13 other countries after May 31.
Several hundred Malaysia-bound migrant workers faced uncertainty at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Friday, arriving without plane tickets after being assured by local recruitment agents that tickets would be provided on time. Some workers reported unresponsive agents.
Last year, Malaysia was the second-largest overseas job market for Bangladeshi workers, with over 400,000 migrating since the labor market reopened in 2022. The market had closed in 2008, reopened in 2016, and shut again in 2018 due to corruption allegations, before reopening through a new agreement signed on December 18, 2021.
BAIRA Secretary General Ali Haider Chowdhury estimated that around 3,000-4,000 workers might have missed their flights due to the inability to secure air tickets by the deadline to reach Kuala Lumpur.
