Dhaka, Nov 2 (bdnews24.com)—Malaysia is hopeful about resuming recruitment process of Bangladeshi workers from December after a five-year hiatus.

The applications from Bangladeshis were expected to be received on Dec 1, Malaysian newspaper The Star said on Friday referring to a statement issued by the Special Cabinet Committee on Foreign Workers and Illegal Immigrants of Malaysia.

The newspaper said the Bangladeshis are expected to be heading to the Southeast Asian "as early as January next year".

The governments of the two countries are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding to this end this month.

"The recruitment will be implemented in stages starting with the plantation sector," The Star said quoting the statement.

"It will begin once all procedures in both countries including the recruiting system are ready," the committee added in the statement by the Home Ministry's foreign workers management division.

The Malaysian newspaper said the committee, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, met on Thursday and discussed the proposed government-to-government mechanism in recruiting Bangladeshi workers.

"This mechanism will not involve the element of middleman to ensure the smoothness of the recruitment process.

"Enforcement and intelligence agencies will also be roped in to ensure public order and security are maintained while at the same time curb human smuggling and transborder crimes," the newspaper said quoting the statement.

It also added that to avoid the recurrence of abuse against Bangladeshi workers, every employer would be subjected to strict requirements including providing accommodation for the workers.

On Oct 3, 2007, the Malaysian Cabinet froze the intake of Bangladesh workers indefinitely due to the numerous problems created by employers and agents.

Bangladesh positive

The Malaysian newspaper, referring to the statement, noted that Bangladesh was positive to this end.

The Cabinet endorsed the memorandum of understanding to be signed with the Malaysia government on Oct 22.

Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Mosarraf Hossain Bhuiyan had said representatives of the two countries would sign the MoU on Nov 9.

As per the conditions set by Malaysia, the government has to develop a database from which workers would be selected and trained before they are sent.

The Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) will carry out the responsibilities on behalf of the government. It will also collect visas for the workers.

The employers will bear the airfare and their representatives receive the workers at Malaysian airports.

There will be a high-level joint group, comprising representatives of the two countries, to resolve the complications arising in the manpower export process.

Only Tk 40,000 for Malaysian job

Bhuiyan had also said one will need to spend Tk 40,000 to go to Malaysia for job under the government management.

Bangladeshi workers will be employed in agriculture, construction, gardening and housekeeping for two years and paid 900 Malaysian ringgit (approximately Tk 25,000) a month, he had said.

Their jobs will be renewable for another three years – first two years and then one more year, he had added.

The workers will have to work eight hours a day and six days a week.

Malaysian Human Resources Minister S Subramaniam had come to Dhaka on Sep 12 and held a two-day bilateral negotiations with his Bangladeshi counterpart Mosharraf Hossain.

Asked how many people would be recruited, the Malaysian minister had told a joint press briefing: "Market force will determine that. We need workers in plantation and manufacturing sectors."

About half a million Bangladeshis are now residing in Malaysia.

According to Khandkar Mosharraf, over 250,000 Bangladeshis in Malaysia have become illegal migrants due to high migration cost.