1st June 2024: Must history repeat itself with the Malaysian labour market’s alleged criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshi migrant workers for forced labour

On May 31, Malaysia once again closed its doors to aspiring Bangladeshi migrant workers —along with migrants from 13 other countries—because of anomalies in the worker recruitment process. Since the Southeast Asian country first started taking migrants from Bangladesh, the labour market has been frozen several times, reportedly due to corruption and irregularities in the process at the expense of migrants’ exploitation and criminalisation. It is frustrating that in all these years, neither the Bangladeshi government nor its Malaysian counterpart took any effective steps to address the widely reported irregularities and bring to book the syndicates involved in the recruitment process.

Original Source: The Daily Star – Editorial – 1st June 2024

Address recurring irregularities, investigate high-level officials involved in the corrupt process in both countries concerning Bangladeshi migrant workers

Migrating to a life of unemployment

The last MoU signed by the two countries in 2021 capped the cost of recruitment for each Bangladeshi migrant at $720, but in reality workers ended up paying as much as $5,000, the highest price globally, according to a report in our daily. Meanwhile, workers kept on being deceived by ghost recruiters, then jailed and detained in Malaysia for no fault of their own. In the meantime, the syndicates, including 100 Bangladeshi recruiting agencies, some of which are owned by Bangladeshi lawmakers and their families, kept on making money at the Bangladeshi migrant workers expense. A portion of this money is also being laundered to Malaysia as bribes for Malaysian recruitment firms.

Save our Bangladeshi migrant workers in Malaysia

In a recent letter to both governments, four UN experts talked about exploitation noting that “certain high-level officials in both governments are involved in this business or condoning it.” Yet, the Malaysian high commissioner to Bangladesh would have us believe that the syndicates recruiting Bangladeshi migrant workers in Malaysia are “beyond the control of the two governments.” After decades of migrant exploitation right under their noses, can the two governments absolve themselves of their responsibilities, particularly when they are yet to acknowledge—much less take action against—high-level officials involved in the corrupt process?

They must bring the perpetrators to book, no matter how powerful the syndicates are. The irregularities in migrants recruitment need to be resolved once and for all, so that our workers do not return as dead bodies or financially and emotionally broken individuals.

1st June 2024: Malaysia’s dream ends in deprivation for Bangladeshi migrant workers of criminal syndicate

Original Source: Kalerkantho by Taufiq Hasan – 1st June 2024

► 12 flights left from Bangladesh ► About 3500 Bangladeshi migrant workers were seen waiting in uncertainty at the airport last night.

Thousands of people without flight tickets to Malaysia thronged Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport from yesterday morning. Photo: Manjurul Karim

The labor market in Malaysia, one of the preferred places for Bangladeshi migrant workers seeking employment abroad, was closed on Friday. Through this, the picture of ruthless corruption of a syndicate or circle has emerged. Through them, thousands of Bangladeshi migrants have been cheated in the country and abroad , the picture of which was seen yesterday at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. Around 3,500 Bangladeshi migrant workers who got permission till 9:30 pm yesterday are seen waiting in uncertainty.

Deprived Bangladeshi migrant workers who gathered at Dhaka’s Shahjalal International Airport in a last attempt to go to Malaysia yesterday. Most of these workers sell land or their last possessions and raise money to go to Malaysia by taking loans from moneylenders at high interest rates. At the end of a certain period of time, their hope has been dashed by the desperate dream breaking.

Sources at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport say that 12 flights from Bangladesh left for Malaysia yesterday.Between 2,000 and 2,500 workers went to Malaysia on these flights.

Around 5,000 Bangladeshi migrant workers have been at the airport since yesterday morning. The workers claim that the agencies have assured them that they will arrange the tickets. But when he will issue the ticket, that assurance has not been given.Workers are in uncertainty about this.

According to Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Foreign Employment sources , in today’s (yesterday) online meeting held with the Malaysian government, it was decided that as many workers as will go from Bangladesh till tonight, all of them will be allowed to enter Malaysia.

Bangladeshi Migrants Moan

Many of the workers were staying at Shahjalal Airport for three to four days. They spent these few days in the swing of hope and despair.

24 workers are scheduled to go to Malaysia through recruiting agency Greenland Overseas. But even after staying at the airport for three days, they did not see the ticket.

Yesterday the resident of Naogaon . Saifullah told Kal Kantha, ” If you cannot go to Malaysia, you will not return home.” By mortgaging the land , I raised six lakhs by borrowing interest and installments. If I can’t go to Malaysia, I can’t work, where will I pay this money from? ‘

Resident of Jamalpur . Rubel said, ‘ If I can’t go today, I will be completely destitute. Don’t know if they will refund the money or not . I have collected six lakh rupees by selling the land, borrowing in interest and installments. I don’t know how to return home if I can’t go now. ‘

Salma Begum, a resident of the same district, said , ‘ I have been traveling around the airport for three days. Nia is coming from home the day before yesterday. Says – you come quickly , I will give you tickets. Now I don’t even get tickets, I don’t even say anything. We are in the same situation as a person drowns in a river. ‘

Not just Saifullah , Rubel or Salma Begum, this is the frustration among thousands of workers across the airport.

He came from Patuakhali . Five people including Shafiq Shikder. But the ticket was not resolved.

Shafiq Shikder told Kal Kantha , ‘ Now we are being told that if you can buy tickets , then go away. Now if the matter is left to us, why did we go to them? Why then said that they will do everything. Now they are running away with burden on our heads. We have no chance of getting a flight. Now I see only darkness. I am bringing money by borrowing on interest with much difficulty. This installment is to be paid every week. If I don’t pay it properly, they will file a case in my name. ‘

Shihab Molla, a resident of Khulna, said , ‘ The broker just says there is a ticket , I give it, come to the airport. This has been going on for three days. Just come and go every day. Now the money is in their hands. We are hostages to them. We have to accept what they are doing. Now he says it will happen today. But when it will happen, it does not say. ‘

Tipu Sultan, Joint Secretary of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) said to Kal Kantha, ” It is going to be closed on the 31st , everyone knew it beforehand. We told the government, if more number of chartered flights could have been done through diplomatic dialogue, this problem could have been eliminated long ago. We think that the initiative of the government was lacking. The government can still diplomatically arrange for those who have received visas to leave. ‘

In this regard, State Minister for Expatriate Welfare and Foreign Employment Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury said , ‘ I asked Bayra for the list of how many people will go and how they will go. But they could not provide any list. As a result we had to face problems. But now those whose tickets have been confirmed are being sent. Others will be decided later. ‘

The arena of corruption is the labor market

Malaysia’s labor market is like an arena of corruption. The government fixed the cost of immigration at 78 thousand 990 taka, but the workers gave 4.5 to 6.5 lakh taka per person. Although prohibited by law, there are allegations of visa trading. Each visa is purchased by recruiting agencies for a minimum of six thousand ringgit.

The owners of the controlling syndicate are alleged to have paid Rs 1 lakh 42 thousand per worker. But the workers who went against it did not get any work. Lakhs of workers are living an inhumane life due to non-payment and lack of work.

In this regard, Haznah Md . , the country’s high commissioner appointed in Dhaka last Wednesday . Hashim said, ‘ Syndicate is a matter which is beyond the control of the Malaysian and Bangladesh governments. However, the governments of the two countries are cooperating with each other to solve this problem. ‘

The joint editor of Baira said , ‘ We want all agencies of the country to send workers to all countries. We don’t want syndication for any reason. ‘

First 25, then 101 syndicates

Malaysia has stopped hiring workers since 2009 due to allegations of various irregularities and corruption. When recruitment started again after six long years, 10 recruiting agencies were tasked with sending workers , who formed a syndicate. At that time, the cost was fixed at 37 thousand taka, but the agencies took 3 to 3.5 lakh taka from the workers. Malaysia’s labor market was closed again in 2018 due to corruption allegations. After that, this labor market was reopened on August 8, 2022 through the signing of a memorandum of understanding in December 2021. However, in July 2022, the Malaysian government decided to give the task of sending workers to 25 Bangladeshi agencies. But after the anti-syndicate movement of the underprivileged recruiting agencies, Malaysia gave the task of sending workers to 75 private and one government agency.

Ministers in Syndicate – MPs

The names of recruiting agencies for ministers and MPs have also surfaced in Malaysia’s syndicate . However, their companies could not send such workers to Malaysia.

BMET data says that all agencies except the top 25 have sent the same number of workers. This number is seven thousand to eight thousand. Manpower exporters say that some MPs’ establishments have not actually sent any workers. They used to sell requisitions to other agencies for 35 thousand rupees per worker.

According to the information available from BMET , the most influential among the organizations of these minister-MPs was Dhaka-20 Constituency MP Benazir Ahmed’s Ahmad International (RL-1146). As of April 24, the company has sent 7,869 workers. However, the company had sent only 387 workers abroad in seven years before entering the Malaysian syndicate.

There is no end to suffering

Malaysian expats have a Facebook group called ‘ Job Khabar ‘ . Its members are 70 thousand. Hundreds of workers search for jobs in this group every day. They are living unemployed for six months , seven months and even a year.

Regarding the complaint of workers not getting this job, Secretary of Expatriate Welfare and Foreign Ministry Ruhul Amin told Kal Kantha, ‘ The situation as you say and promote , has not yet developed. We are in daily contact with the embassy. According to the embassy, only 5,190 workers have not found work so far. ‘

But Malaysian sources say that hundreds of thousands of workers who went to work in Malaysia have not found work.

Immigration expert Asif Munir said , ‘ Malaysia had decided this time long ago. But this processing was more manpower than time. As a result, the process needed to be expedited. And there is no guarantee that all those who have gone will get a job . Now it needs to be monitored. Besides, there is a need for a high-level committee of the government to stop syndicates, corruption and irregularities, which committee can hold everyone involved in this sector accountable.

This report concerns thousands of workers at the international airport in Dhaka. It states that 31,701 workers were unable to fly due to a lack of tickets. In nine flights from Dhaka to Kuala Lumpur, about 1,500 managed to travel. Airlines are exploiting the situation by charging per air ticket 130,000 BDT, while the actual ticket price is about 30,000 BDT. The report also states that about 5,000 Bangladeshi migrant workers were stranded at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on May 31st.

This video report by Daily Star in Dhaka is highlighting on the Bangladeshi Malaysia syndicate trafficking workers for forced labour, exorbitant migration cost and the UN experts statement HERE

Background Reading:

See also Daily Star 2nd June 2024: Controversial recruitment system to stay 3 more years

See also Daily Star 2nd June – Jobs in Malaysia: Mismanagement left over 3k workers with no ticket to KL

MALAYSIAKINI June 1st 2024: Controversial worker management system BESTINET gets new lease, sources say

FMT 31st May 2024: Expect Bangladeshi workers to be stranded and at high risk of modern slavery following Malaysian migration management deadline rush, warns activist

SCMP 31st May 2024: Malaysians shocked by thousands of Bangladeshis crowding at airport to beat deadline for legal work, as UN and activists warn of increased modern slavery risks

CNA 31st May 2024: Over 30,000 workers set to miss deadline to enter Malaysia even as officials clear backlog at KL airport

Prothomalo 31 May 2024 – Bangladesh – Malaysia’s labour market: Repeated syndicates, repeated closure

Prothomalo 31st May 2024: Bangladesh – Thousands of people crowded Dhaka airport without flight tickets to go to Malaysia

31st May 2024: Govt reaffirms commitment to protect migrant workers’ rights to UN

31st May 2024: The closure of the labor market in Malaysia has shattered the dreams of 31,000 workers

Daily Star 31 May 2024 – Recruitment in Malaysia: Syndicate siphons over $1b out of Bangladesh

Daily Sun 31st May 2024: Biman sends 2,000 migrant workers to Malaysia

Business Standard 31st May 2024: Malaysia-bound workers scammed, stranded at Dhaka airport as deadline set to expire today

Daily Star 30th May 2024: Manpower syndicates beyond Dhaka-KL control

30th May 2024: Comment by Andy Hall, independent migrant worker rights specialist, on ongoing migrant worker management crisis in Malaysia and at KLIA airport today, Bangladeshi workers at high risk of modern slavery

CNA 30th May 2024: ‘Congestion’ at KL airport as employers scramble to bring in thousands of migrant workers before deadline

MALAYSIAKINI 30th May 2023: ‘Migrants influx at KLIA due to employers chasing deadline’

30th May 2024 Benar News: Malaysia’s labor market closed – Migrant workers flock to airports in all countries

29th May Daily Star: Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia – Hiring begins with bribery (UN independent experts say Bangladeshi workers pay up to 8 times for migration alone due to corruption of Malaysia ministries, Bangladesh mission and syndicates)

29th May Daily Star: Airfare to Malaysia surges fivefold

FMT 28th May 2024: Malaysia yet to respond to UN concerns on alleged criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshi migrant victims for forced labour in the country(with my full statement included)

For Immediate Release 27th May 2024: Statement by Andy Hall, Independent Migrant Worker Rights Specialist, on today’s public release of UN OHCHR’s unanswered urgent appeal communications to the Malaysian and Bangladeshi Governments

30th May Star: Cyclone smashes Bangladeshi workers’ hopes, extension requested

Channel News Asia 25th May 2024: Malaysia’s bid to revamp hiring of foreign workers through controversial BESTINET process faces pushback; activists say country’s reputation at stake

22nd May 2024: UN expert – Malaysian law enforcement mixing up human trafficking, migrant smuggling – “What steps has Malaysia taken to investigate alleged complicity of public officials in human trafficking?’’

20th May 2024 FMT: Duped Bangladeshi workers won’t impact Malaysia’s US Human trafficking report ranking, says HR Minister Sim

Malay Mail 17th May 2024: Pengerang employer to face Labour Court in Malaysia after failing for months to pay Bangladeshi workers’ wages over RM1m (government statements and my comments included – months on, court agreed mediation settlement unforced, workers allegedly remain in situation akin to acute modern slavery)

16th May 2024: Firm that left over 700 Bangladeshi workers to dry in Pengerang facing possible prosecution (months on, court agreed mediation settlement unforced, workers allegedly remain in situation akin to acute modern slavery)

14th May 2024: FMT – Activists warn of US trafficking report downgrade for Malaysia amid UN criticism

May 10th 2024 The Star: Malaysian Government responds to OHCHR, IOM, ILO and UNODC joint condemnation on alleged Bangaldeshi migrant worker criminal syndicate by pledging to set up special unit handling migrant workers’ grievances, says HR Minister Sim

9th May 2024: Study: 96% of Bangladeshi workers going to Malaysia fall into recruitment debt– The study also said that 82% had two or more loans and 73% of workers spent at least 50% to 100% of their monthly salary to repay recruitment debts

4th May 2024: UN agencies concerned over Bangladeshi workers stranded in Malaysia – Joint Statement of ILO, IOM and UNODC on Alleged Criminal Syndicate Trafficking Bangladeshi Workers for Forced Labour in Malaysia

24th April 2024: Address plight of duped Bangladeshi migrant workers in Malaysia in response to UN warning, govt told (more on the ongoing saga of an alleged criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshi migrant workers for forced labour in Malaysia)

19th April 2024: UN (OHCHR) Statement on Alleged Criminal Syndicate Trafficking Bangladeshi Workers for Forced Labour in Malaysia – ‘Malaysia: Bangladeshi workers must be protected from exploitation and criminalisation, say UN experts’

FMT 19th April 2024: UN experts sound alarm over plight of duped Bangladeshi migrants in Malaysia

For more on Andy Hall’s complaint to the OHCHR see 30th Oct 2023: FMT: Andy Hall refers stranded Bangladeshi workers’ plight in Malaysia to UN Human Rights Council

See Daily Star 23rd Apr 2024: Bangladesh Plight of Migrant Workers – Bangladesh, Malaysia working group meeting likely in May

See Daily Star Editorial 23rd Apr 2024: When even legal migrants suffer – Workers migrating to Malaysia legally deserve better protection

Business Standard 23rd April 2024: Expat Ministry reviews UN complaints on Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia

Prothomalo 23rd April 2024: Bangladesh – Ministry reviewing allegations over Malaysia labour market

BenarNews Malay Language: Pakar PBB gesa Malaysia tangani layanan buruk diterima pekerja Bangladesh (UN expert urges Malaysia to handle bad treatment received by Bangladeshi workers)

Daily Star 19th Apr 2024: UN experts express dismay over situation of Bangladeshi migrants in Malaysia

FMT 19th Apr 2024: PSM, news portal set aside order to stop debate on migrant workers’ plight

Daily Star Editorial 17th April 2024: Save our migrants in Malaysia (more on the crisis caused by an alleged criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshi workers for forced labour in Malaysia)

9th April 2024 The Star – Bangladeshi victims of criminal syndicate trafficking worked for forced labour in Malaysia: ‘Cops after workers, not rogue employers’

7th April 2024: SCMP – As Malaysia’s door closes on low-paid migrant workers, companies scramble for staff (and a systemically corrupt migration management and recruitment policy, devoid of the rule of law and leading to impunity and gross exploitation, is revealed)

6th April 2024 Daily Star: A hostel of nightmares for Bangladeshi migrants allegedly trafficked by criminal syndicate for forced labour in Malaysia (and Daily Star Op Ed)

Daily Star Editorial 6th Apr 2024: What will happen to migrants abandoned in Malaysia?

26th March 2024: The Star – Freeze on foreign workers hiring quota in Malaysia stays for now, says HR Minister (with estimated 200,000+ surplus foreign workforce victims facing destitution and abuse)

25th March 2024: Bangladeshi workers (alleged victims of criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshi workers for forced labour in Malaysia) claim being coerced into withdrawing police and labour complaints

Daily Star 25th Mar: Malaysia employer framed Bangladeshi workers

Daily Star 24th Mar 2024: Jailed in Malaysia – 3 Bangladesh workers released

Editorial Prothomalo 24th Mar 2024: Malaysian labour market – Take action against the fraud syndicate

FMT 23rd March 2024: PSM calls on Sim to look into arrest of Bangladeshi workers

MALAYSIAKINI 23 Mar 2024: Stranded foreign workers (alleged victims of criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshi workers for forced labour in Malaysia) nabbed after labour complaints against employer

23rd March 2024 The Star: Half a million vulnerable and irregular foreign workers disappear from Malaysia’s migrant worker regularization programme as deadline looms in one week

23 Mar 2024 The Star: Verification rate lags as RTK 2.0 deadline approaches

22nd March 2024 Malay Mail: Home minister – Over RM9m in fines collected so far through migrant repatriation programme

22nd March 2024 Protomalo: Malaysian labour market set to be closed again due to syndication

20th March 2024: 93 duped/detained Bangladeshi migrant workers in Malaysia have jobs now, says immigration DG

20th Mar 2024 Business Standard: Bangladeshi workers’ plight in Malaysia: Coalition of migration orgs demand action against recruiting agency syndicate

19th March 2024: FMT – Plantation firms wary of ‘forced labour’ concerns in hiring 200,000 surplus foreign workers/criminal syndicate victims in Malaysia, says minister – indeed he’s right, who wants to take on destitute foreign workers often with US$4-7000 in debt?

17th March 2024: FMT – Malaysia’s treatment of migrant workers utterly shameful

New Age 16th Mar 2024: Bangladeshi government must mend issues to keep Malaysia job market open

15th March 2024 SCMP: Malaysians deride minister’s idea to rebrand palm oil workers as ‘specialised harvesters’

14th March 2024: The Star – Opinion: When work in Malaysia is a con – the criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshis for forced labour in Malaysia

FMT 13th March 2024: Bangladeshi migrants file police reports after falling victim to job scam/criminal syndicate trafficking workers from Bangladesh for forced labour in Malaysia

12th March 2024: SCMP – Malaysia to slash migrant workforce amid intolerance, job scam crisis involving Bangladeshi labourers

FMT 11th Mar 2024: Duped migrant jobseekers, victims of alleged criminal syndicate trafficking Bangaldeshi workers to Malaysia for forced labour, face mental health issues, says Malaysian ex-MP

Daily Star Editorial 10th March 2024: Migrating to a life of unemployment

Daily Star 10th Mar 2024: Distressed in Malaysia – Thousands of Bangladeshi migrants jobless, unpaid or underpaid

9th March 2024: Malay Mail – Activists warn rushed 31st March visa deadline in Malaysia could force firms to source foreign workers unethically (includes my commentary on the abrupt policy change)

9th Mar 2024 The Star: No extension of May 31 foreign worker deadline

NST 9th Mar 2024: Keep recruitment agencies in a list rather than shutting them down, govt told

NST 8th Mar 2024: Eliminate middlemen from migrant worker recruitment process, govt told

Star 8th Mar 2024: May 31 deadline for foreign workers recruitment under recalibration programme remains, says Saifuddin

Malay Mail 8th Mar 2024: Saifuddin Nasution: No more agents for Bangladeshi worker recruitment

6th Mar 2024: Malaysian government halts foreign worker entry into the country from 31st May 2024 (final calling visa/VDN approval issuance deadline 31st March 2024) as migrant worker management crisis worsens and victims of gross exploitation, unemployment and destitution rise significantly

6th March 2024: Business Times –Sudden change in foreign worker policy by Malaysian government leaves industry in limbo

6th Mar 2024 Edge: Foreign worker intake deadline changes will leave manufacturers in the lurch, says FMM

6th Mar 2024 FMT: Industry players shocked by foreign worker policy change, says FMM

Mar 5 2024: NCCIM urges govt to review unused foreign worker quota deadline

4th March 2024 URGENT call for donations/support: joining forces with HOPE SELANGOR to fill gap in providing humanitarian aid and assistance to victims of criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshi workers into forced labour in Malaysia

Mar 3rd 2024: Concern on repatriation of potential trafficking and forced labour/abuse victims under Malaysian Migrant Worker Repatriation Programme Commencing 1st March 2024 (Statement by Andy Hall, Independent Migrant Worker Rights Specialist)

FMT 3rd Mar 2024: Ensure ‘crooks’ do not gain from repatriation programme, says activist

Mar 2nd 2024 The Star: A chance for illegals to go home

Mar 2nd 2024 The Star: Sarawak immigration extends RTK2.0 until June

Mar 1st 2024 FMT: 600,000 foreign workers urged to take easy exit home

Mar 1st 2024 The Star: Use repatriation programme to return home, 600,000 illegals told

Feb 28th 2024 The Star: New programme lets migrants off the hook without being prosecuted