Bangladesh's leader urges Malaysia to reopen its labour market to more Bangladeshi workers amid exploitation concerns.
Key facts
- •Bangladesh's Prime Minister Tarique Rahman asked Malaysia to reopen its labour market to more Bangladeshi workers.
- •The request was made during talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Putrajaya on Monday.
- •Migrant rights groups have warned of years of recruitment abuse, debt and stranded-worker cases.
- •Anwar Ibrahim warned that exploitation, mistreatment and recruitment scandals could not continue.
Bangladesh's Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has asked Malaysia to reopen its labour market to more Bangladeshi workers. He made the request to Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim during talks in Putrajaya on Monday. Rahman also raised issues related to undocumented workers and possible repatriation of detained Bangladeshis.
Labour Market Concerns
Migrant rights groups have warned that both governments must first address years of recruitment abuse, debt and stranded-worker cases. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman said he had asked Anwar to consider recruiting more Bangladeshi workers and reopening the labour market as soon as possible.
Government Responses
Anwar Ibrahim reaffirmed that Bangladeshi workers remained crucial to Malaysia’s economy but warned that exploitation, mistreatment and recruitment scandals could not continue. Tarique Rahman agreed that recruitment should be transparent, fair and affordable, reducing the role of intermediaries and lowering the cost of overseas employment.
This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by South China Morning Post.
