Bangladesh minister: Malaysia to recruit 200,000 workers over 6 months

Malaysia plans to recruit approximately 200,000 Bangladeshi workers within the next six months, according to Bangladeshi junior minister Mir Shahe Alam. The recruitment process will commence in phases, beginning at the end of September and concluding within six months. Of the total 200,000 workers, 10,000 will not incur any recruitment expenses, as reported by The Daily Star.

During a meeting held in Dhaka between Malaysian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Mohd Shuhada Othman and Bangladesh's local government, rural development, and cooperatives Minister Abdul Moyeen Khan, Shahe Alam disclosed the planned intake. At present, around 800,000 documented Bangladeshi workers are already present in Malaysia, though the exact number of undocumented workers remains undisclosed. The Bangladeshi government has requested Malaysia to register these undocumented nationals.

In June, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had urged Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to contemplate the reopening of Malaysia's labor market to Bangladeshi workers. Malaysia had previously imposed restrictions on Bangladeshi worker recruitment in 2024, following reports of exploitation such as debt bondage, forced labor, and instances where workers arrived without the promised jobs. This forthcoming recruitment effort comes as Malaysia aims to diminish its dependence on foreign labor.

The Malaysian government intends to bring the total number of foreign workers in the country down to around 10 percent of the total workforce by 2030. The New Straits Times has reached out to the Malaysian Human Resources Ministry for confirmation and comment.