Editorial
Malaysia job market reopening
Break new grounds
It is heartening to know that Malaysia which had tabooed hiring Bangladeshi workers in March last year has signaled a positive response. The welcome change of heart is reflected on the process already initiated by the country to regularise 3lakh undocumented Bangladeshi workers hitherto virtually living a fugitive's life. This itself is a good piece of news, let alone the fact that upon completion of the process of absorption, Malaysia will accept new Bangladeshi hands in keeping with its growing requirement in the economy. This also sits in with Malaysia being one of the favoured destinations for our workers.
Let's not forget that Malaysia has been hosting half a million of our workers before it put a lid on fresh recruitment. Thus the waiver comes as icing on the cake. All this is a tribute to the intrinsically friendly bilateral relations between our two countries and a measure of Malaysian goodwill for us. The two countries should endeavour at the government to government level in particular to see that the business develops into an honourable, mutually respectful and legalistically sound two-way traffic.
Government has also to be credited for negotiating persuasively with the Malaysian government which too showed generosity to our workers for the uncertain plight they were in.
But, of course, there are a couple of serious lessons to be drawn from the experience and for the concerned to live up to them. First and foremost, the curse of undocumented labour is attributable to the dubious machinations of private recruitment agencies in the main. A part of the onus is obviously placed on Bangladeshi missions in host countries who hardly keep a tab on their workers or intervene before things blow up. It is learnt that recruitment agencies sent more workers than there were effective or approved demands for. Such illegality should be avoided if we are to retain goodwill for Bangladeshi workers.
It is also pleasing to note that Canadian Saskatchewan province usually recruiting farm labour from Caribbean countries is evincing interest in employing Bangladeshi farmers. The Canadian government is going the right way about it: They are to establish an institute to train the workers who would be selected for migration. We, for our part, should lay emphasis on pre-service training.
We urge our government to launch a massive drive, on a well-informed basis, to seek out employment opportunities in countries facing severe manpower deficit in certain areas.
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