Malaysia and Bangladesh have agreed to work towards establishing a cleaner and more transparent recruitment process for Bangladeshi workers, said Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus.
Yunus made the comment to Malaysian state news agency Bernama in an exclusive interview held on the sidelines of his official visit to Kuala Lumpur – which concluded on August 13. The interview was led by Bernama’s Editor-in-Chief Arul Rajoo Durar Raj, and published last Thursday.
The chief adviser said, “Matters related to recruitment have been discussed in depth during my meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in Putrajaya last Tuesday.
“I have acknowledged existing flaws in the current recruitment process and stressed the need to clean it up to avoid problems for either side. We had a very elaborate discussion on how to proceed without making trouble for the Malaysian government.”
“We both promised ourselves to clean up the system and to make it easier and transparent,” Yunus assured.
The Nobel Prize laureate said, “While Malaysia needs foreign workers, Bangladesh also seeks to ensure that the recruitment of its citizens is transparent, allowing them to work abroad with dignity, proper rights, and benefits.
“Malaysia needs people, and we need to have these people come here to make a living for themselves and their families. So, both sides need each other. There is no shortage of goodwill. It is a question of putting together and see where the things go wrong and then we track and clean it up.”
As of February 2025, Bangladeshi people form the largest group of foreign workers in Malaysia, numbering about 8.98 lakh. They represent a critical workforce in the country, primarily employed in the construction, manufacturing, plantation and service sectors.
The Malaysian home ministry has implemented the Multiple Entry Visa (MEV) facility for Bangladeshi workers, effective from August 8, underscoring Kuala Lumpur’s commitment to ethical and regulated labour cooperation with Dhaka.
Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus was on a three-day official visit to Malaysia from August 11 to August 13, at the invitation of Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.