HUMAN Resources Minister M Kulasegaran has met with his counterpart from Bangladesh to resolve the problem of undocumented Bangladeshi workers, as well as workers who have overstayed.

“Yesterday, I met with Nurul Islam, the expatriate welfare and overseas employment minister of Bangladesh, and we had a fruitful discussion on various topics involving labour,” Kulasegaran said in a statement today.

Among the matters highlighted by the Bangladeshi delegation were labour relations between the two countries, Bangladeshi nationals who seek illegal employment or overstay in Malaysia, and areas of mutual development.

Kulasegaran said his ministry is looking at creating a single application system for foreign workers, to combat concerns over increasing recruitment fees and unscrupulous recruitment practices.

He added that the government also has plans to take over the management of insurance schemes for migrant workers.

Kulasegaran has requested the Bangladeshi government to look into the repatriation process with regards to illegal Bangladeshi nationals in Malaysia, but will welcome documented Bangladeshi nationals to work here in the future.

“We would certainly want to work together with Bangladesh to create an efficient, transparent and productive system to enable their nationals to work here,” Kulasegaran said.

The visit by Bangladeshi officials was prompted by reports of harassment allegedly suffered by many of their migrant workers here.

“The ministry is aware of the harassment of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia. If their (Malaysia’s) concerned minister cannot come to Bangladesh, I will visit the country soon to meet their minister to talk about the issue,” Nurul was quoted as saying recently by Bangladeshi newspaper The Daily Star.

“The government will take measures so that Bangladeshi migrants can move freely and work without any harassment in Malaysia.”

Malaysia presently hosts almost two million Bangladeshi workers. The number of illegal workers in Malaysia is believed to have grown to more than one million in recent years.

Under immigration laws, illegal immigrants can be detained, imprisoned and fined.

Nurul Islam said the Bangladeshi High Commission in Kuala Lumpur is working closely with Putrajaya to legalise undocumented workers, many of whom are victims of human trafficking. – September 26, 2018.