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MALAYSIAN LABOUR MARKET

25 inexperienced agencies incapable of sending 10-15 lakh workers

Mehedi Al Amin
18 Jun 2022 22:23:47 | Update: 19 Jun 2022 01:29:45
25 inexperienced agencies incapable of sending 10-15 lakh workers

The anti-syndicate grand alliance – led by former members of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) – has urged the government to ensure more involvement of experienced recruiting agencies in sending workers to Malaysia.

They also recommended both the Malaysian and Bangladeshi governments’ involvement in the selection process of recruiting agencies, so that more experienced recruiters have the opportunity to get in the labour market, and more Bangladeshis can migrate at a cheaper cost.

Industry leaders made the call at a press conference on Saturday, demanding authorities to hold accountable the perpetrators working behind the scene to create a syndicate, pointing out that such a racket will severely disrupt the process of sending workers to Malaysia.

The press conference was held at a hotel in Dhaka.

Shawpon dominates syndicate

The owner of Bestinet SDN BHS Bangladeshi born Malaysian Datuk Seri Ruhul Amin, his Bangladeshi partner Catharsis International’s owner Ruhul Amin Shwapan and a senior official of Bangladesh’s expatriate’s welfare ministry are involved in the 25-agency syndicate’s creation.

Pointing out this issue, anti-syndicate grand alliance leaders spoke in favour of establishing a fair and transparent selection process for recruiting agencies.

Addressing the event, Recruiting Agency Oikyo Parishad President Tipu Sultan said, “One family – headed by Ruhul Amin Shwapan – owns four agencies among the 25 recruiters, and he has influence on another 14 of these firms.

The four agencies are – Catharsis International, Sarker International, Path Finder International and Amial International.

“The son of expatriates’ welfare secretary is involved with Imperial Resources Ltd – one of the 25 agencies. Can you understand what kind of syndicate it really is?”

Industry leaders say the idea of this 25-agency syndicate took root long before the negotiations began between the two countries.

He further said, “They [perpetrators] were behind the preparation of the faulty MoU, under which the 25 agencies were proposed by Malaysia.

“First they prepared the faulty MoU, and then they opened the way for syndication. They did not table this issue during the Joint Working Group meeting, six months after signing of the MoU.”

He added, “Thirdly, why was no counter letter issued by Bangladesh opposing the 25-agency syndicate, proposed earlier in a letter by the Malaysian human resource minister?”

ALSO READ: Who approves 25 labour recruiters for Malaysia?

Echoing the opinion of industry leaders, Mohd Noor Ali, former BAIRA president and the managing director of Unique Group, said, “What is the authorities' interest in patronising Shwapan, and the four and 14 recruiting agencies he owns and controls respectively?

“The governments of both Malaysia and Bangladesh should intervene in the selection process of local recruiting agencies, and provide the opportunity to experienced firms to get selected.”

Industry leaders urged three specific actions from the Bangladesh government and the authorities concerned.

Former BAIRA president and Managing Director of Unique Group Mohd Noor Ali speaks at a press briefing at a hotel in the capital on Saturday — The Business Post Photo

First, they recommended a support system by the Bangladesh government on this issue. Second, they urged the relevant ministry to send a letter to its Malaysian counterpart rejecting the proposal of involving only 25 agencies in sending Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia.

And third, they urged that the people behind the syndicate’s creation be held accountable.

A syndicate will disrupt manpower exports

Industry leaders pointed out that Malaysia currently has a demand for 10-15 lakh workers. How will 25 inexperienced agencies fulfill the huge demand?

They added that the 25-agency syndicate will not be able to send more than 1.5 lakh workers to Malaysia annually, because four of these firms are owned by one person, and this person also controls 14 other firms.

Besides, some of these agencies have no experience in sending workers abroad, no adequate office infrastructure, and no skilled manpower.

Around 60 per cent of the job sector in Malaysia – including electronics, furniture, hand gloves manufacturing and security sector – will remain untouched if the syndicate gets approval.

ALSO READ: Why only 25 Bangladeshi agencies allowed?

Those sectors will source workers at zero migration cost. Malaysian employers will provide tickets and other facilities directly to the workers. So the syndicate will not get money. Thus those sectors will remain unreachable for Bangladeshi workers.

And all these things will happen if this syndicate gets approval, the anti-syndicate grand alliance leaders said.

Former BAIRA leader Md Fakhrul Islam said, “No worker went to Malaysia under the electronics sector in 2017-2018. There is a demand of three lakhs workers in the security sector.”

Involvement of more licencees a must

Former BAIRA leaders pointed out that Malaysia is sourcing workers from 13 countries except Bangladesh, and there is no syndication in those source countries. Then why has a syndicate been proposed for Bangladesh only? Why is the MoU different only for Bangladesh?

Industry leaders urged the involvement of experienced and capable licencees in the process of sending manpower to Malaysia.

“If the number of recruiting agencies remains at 25, the prime minister’s announcement of sending 1,000 workers from each upazila will not be possible,” Shameem Ahmed Chowdhury Noman, former secretary general of BAIRA, said while presenting the keynote.

ALSO READ: Malaysian HR minister now makes inconsistent statements

He continued, “Moreover, if the valid licencees do not get the opportunity to send workers to Malaysia, the second largest destination after Saudi Arabia, they will have trouble during the licence renewal process.

“I am urging the prime minister to intervene so that an equal opportunity is created for all recruiters.”

Involve 2 govts in selection process

Speakers recommended that both the Bangladeshi and Malaysian governments get involved in the selection process of recruiting agencies.

Mohd Noor Ali said, “The Bangladesh government has the responsibility. Please negotiate and choose the agencies according to a set of rational criteria where fairness would be maintained.”

Meanwhile, Noman said under which criteria the Malaysian government selected the 25 agencies are not very clear to us.

ALSO READ: Malaysian Labour Market: Who backed controversial MoU to benefit syndicate?

He urged the prime ministers of both countries, Bangladeshi expatriates’ welfare minister Imran Ahmed and his Malaysian counterpart M Saravanan for ensuring equal opportunity to all recruiting agencies for the sake of safe and low cost migration.

Malaysian employers also opposing syndicate

Participating virtually in Saturday’s event, Malaysian Association of Private Employers General Secretary Sukumar Nair also sought a syndication free recruitment process, saying, “The 25-agency syndicate is a hot topic in Malaysia right now and we are rejecting the number.

“The number of recruiting agencies selected by the Malaysian government is very low for sending the targeted number of workers. We need the involvement of more than 25 agencies in Bangladesh to fulfill the demand.”

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