Malaysia’s Foreign Workers Centralized Management System (FWCMS) has published a list of 25 Bangladeshi recruiting agencies approved to send workers to the Southeast Asian country, although authorities have yet to clarify when recruitment will begin or how the process will operate.
FWCMS published the names of the agencies on its website on Friday.
The approved agencies are Bangladesh One Overseas Limited, Bengal Human Resources Development, General Trading Company, M/S United Gulf Services, Annesa Air International, Att-Taqwa Overseas Limited, Earth-Smart Bangladesh Ltd, Khan Jahan Ali Overseas, M/S Al-Shupto Overseas, Motherland Overseas Ltd, Rifa International, Vely Trade International, A-Plus International, Al-Hayat Overseas, Bhaluka Overseas, Brothers Trading & Contracting Ltd, Chandpur International, Country Employment Agency, Goodness Services Limited, Jewel Rinku Enterprise, M/S Satkhira International, Mangrove Career Link, Neighbour Associates Ltd, Tania Trade International and The Anchor Care Global Migration.
A section of leaders of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) had demanded that Malaysia allow all eligible recruiting agencies in Bangladesh to participate in the recruitment process.
The publication of the list, however, has raised questions about how the authorities selected the 25 agencies and whether other Bangladeshi agencies will later receive permission to recruit workers for Malaysia.
Malaysia suspended new recruitment of foreign workers from Bangladesh and several other countries on 31 May 2024. Authorities also cancelled recruitment approvals for workers who failed to enter the country within the stipulated deadline.
Bangladesh made several attempts to reopen the Malaysian labour market after the suspension, but the two sides failed to reach a breakthrough.
The government renewed its efforts after the political change in Bangladesh on 5 August 2024, but the labour market remained closed.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman later visited Malaysia on his first overseas trip after taking office, and the two countries have since continued discussions on reopening the labour market.
Although FWCMS has now published the list of 25 approved agencies, authorities have yet to explain which recruitment mechanism they will follow, when workers will begin travelling to Malaysia or how they selected the agencies.
