Bangladesh News

The government yesterday cleared about 300 calling visas, final document for workers’ entry into Malaysia, after a week’s delay over the recruiting agencies’ alleged overcharging the workers.

Sources in the Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment ministry said the clearance followed applications of workers (who got calling visas) submitted by three recruiting agencies — Surma International Agencies, Orbital Enterprise and Orchard International.

Earlier on Wednesday, the ministry issued a show cause notice asking Baira (Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies) to explain how it has rented an office in Kuala Lumpur without government permission.

State Minister for Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Lutfur Rahman Khan Azad at a meeting on October 16 had also warned Baira leaders against overcharging the aspirant migrant workers. In such a situation, the government level deals will be made with Malaysia in managing migration, he said.

Blaming Baira and issuing show cause notice on it and also issuing clearance of calling visas have raised questions as to how the government is handling manpower employment in Malaysia.

A number of recruiting agencies said this is a ‘hide and seek game’ by the expatriates welfare ministry and even some key leaders of Baira.

After withdrawal of the ban on hiring workers from Bangladesh after a decade, Malaysia entrusted Baira with managing the migration issue and asked it to open an office in Kuala Lumpur.

Baira President MAH Salim then opened an office with 10 per cent share held by Baira and the rest by three Malaysians.

The state minister also went to Malaysia last month and inaugurated the computer system in the office.

Meanwhile, there are allegations that Baira is charging at least Ringgit 18,000 or Tk 36,000 more than the fixed rate, raising the migration cost to Tk 1.2 to 2 lakh. Some ministers also allegedly demanded a share of the extra money.

But, as Malaysia imposed a temporary ban on October 4 on hiring manpower from Bangladesh alleging that none of the 22,000 workers, who were given job approval and whose migration was scheduled to begin in August, entered Malaysia by October 3.

Malaysia also warned the outsourcing companies and employers in Malaysia that it would not approve job demand letters if they fail to take the approved workers by October 20.

Baira however said the delay was caused due to intervention both by the ministry as well as the country’s high commission in Malaysia. It also said though Malaysia blamed it for the delay, Kuala Lumpur did not issue calling visas until October 4.

Referring to the state minister’s meeting with Baira leaders alleging overcharging and issuance of the show cause notice, sources said the minister is doing all these to share the money overcharged from the workers.

The state minister could not be contacted for his comment despite repeated attempts.

Asked about Baira office in Kuala Lumpur, its Secretary General Ali Haider Chowdhury said the trade body’s rules clearly allow it to open liaison office in any country for market promotion. “So, the show cause notice served by the ministry has no ground,” he said.

He also asked why the state minister did not raise this question when he himself inaugurated the computer system in Baira’s Kuala Lumpur office a month ago.