The Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) has expressed deep concern, disappointment, and protest over reports regarding the publication of a list containing only 25 recruiting agencies selected for sending Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia.
In a press statement issued on Sunday, BAIRA expressed serious concerns that managing the Malaysian labour market through such a limited number of agencies would create fresh opportunities for syndication and monopoly businesses.
The organisation pointed out that, in the past, restricting the Malaysian labour market to a limited number of recruiting agencies led to serious allegations of syndication, excessive migration costs, irregularities, discrimination, and the extortion of extra money from workers.
This resulted in general workers suffering immense financial losses, while a vast number of the country’s valid and experienced recruiting agencies were deprived of a fair opportunity to send workers.
BAIRA raised the question, “Despite the government licensing approximately 2,500 valid recruiting agencies, why should the Malaysian labour market be restricted to only 25 agencies?”
The recruiting body warned that granting monopoly benefits to a specific group while depriving other valid agencies would disrupt healthy competition in the labour market and risk escalating migration costs.
In its press release, BAIRA strongly urged the government to ensure complete transparency regarding the selection process and the published list of the 25 agencies, and to prevent any kind of syndicate or monopoly system from taking effect.
Leaders of the organisation also noted that Nepal had previously rejected a similar syndicate involving 25 agencies.
The association demanded that the Malaysian labour market be kept completely syndicate-free, transparent, non-discriminatory, and open to all valid and eligible recruiting agencies.
Moreover, BAIRA emphasised the necessity of ensuring logical and low migration costs as determined by the government in the interest of the workers, so that no specific group is allowed the opportunity to extract excess funds.
They suggested that, if required, the government could launch a One-Stop Service through the state-owned organisation BOESL to ensure all valid recruiting agencies receive equal opportunities to send workers.
