Four Nations Express Concern Over Malaysia's 25-Agency Recruitment Limit

Recruiting agencies from four countries have formally raised joint concerns regarding Malaysia's decision to involve a limited number of agencies in the recruitment of migrant workers. Specifically, the manpower exporting agency associations representing Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Myanmar addressed the inclusion of only 25 recruiting agencies in the process.

The collective expression of concern by the four nations' organizations was made public through a joint statement issued on Thursday. This international response follows developments regarding the management system overseen by the relevant authorities in Malaysia concerning incoming labor forces from the participating countries.

According to the confirmed facts surrounding the implementation of the system, the specific list featuring the 25 recruiting agencies designated for worker recruitment from Bangladesh was officially published on August 21 through the FWCMS platform. This move established the restricted framework that subsequently triggered the joint reaction from the regional associations.

Reacting to the deployment of the limited agency framework, the coalition of four countries issued a direct quote detailing their apprehensions regarding the market structure. The joint statement from the organizations articulated that granting preferential or exclusive entry to a limited number of organizations could weaken fair competition, transparency, and ethical recruitment principles.

Furthermore, the four countries' organizations elaborated in their shared statement that such a restricted structure could lead to potential cost increases and limited choices for both employers and migrant workers alike. Consequently, the coalition concluded by respectfully calling upon the government of Malaysia and all related stakeholders to review the FWCMS recruitment system.