Malaysia to review deal on hiring 1.5m Bangladeshis

A 2016 deal to employ 1.5 million migrant workers from Bangladesh over a three-year period will be reviewed by Malaysia’s new government.

Malaysiakini reports this quoting M Kulasegaran, the human resources minister of the cabinet of the prime minister, Mahathir Muhammad.

The review will be made in line with Kuala Lumpur’s plan to reduce dependence on foreign workers, the was quoted to have told a press conference there.

The New Straits Times quoted him as saying, “Everything is subject to review and as far as foreign workers are concerned, we want to reduce our dependency on them.”

“Priority is to be given to Malaysian workers, to our people first. Think of Malaysians first, others come second.”

The minister, however, said reportedly that the government would not ask Bangladeshi workers who are already legitimately working in Malaysia to leave without due process.

“It takes some time, those who are already here will not be asked to pack up and just go. They left their country to come here and we will do what we can,” he was quoted to have added.

On 18 February 2016, Malaysia signed a memorandum of understanding to receive 1.5 million Bangladesh workers in stages for three years under the government-to-government plus system.