Agencies from 4 countries call for Malaysian labour mkt free from syndicate 

Recruitment associations from Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Myanmar have jointly expressed deep concern over alleged syndication, monopoly and preferential access for a limited number of agencies in Malaysia’s foreign worker recruitment system, calling for equal opportunities, transparency and fair competition for all licensed recruitment agencies.

In a joint statement issued on Thursday, the associations said Malaysia’s labour market should not be controlled by any individual, group or a limited number of companies. Instead, they called for an open, transparent, competitive and non-discriminatory recruitment system that ensures equal access for all legally licensed agencies in worker-sending countries.

Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (NAFEA) President Dikh Bahadur Khatri, former Senior Vice-President of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) Reaz Ul Islam, Myanmar Overseas Employment Agencies Association (MOEAA) Chairman Myo Thant, and Pakistan Overseas Employment Promoters Association (POEPA) Chairman Syed Rahmat Ali Shah signed the joint statement.

The four associations said they fully support digitalisation, transparency, efficiency and responsible recruitment. However, they warned that no digital platform or recruitment mechanism should become a tool for creating syndicates, monopolies or exclusive control over the recruitment of migrant workers.

The statement comes amid renewed controversy over Malaysia's recruitment process after the country's Foreign Workers Centralised Management System (FWCMS) published a list of 25 Bangladeshi recruitment agencies on August 21 for sending workers to Malaysia.

Recruitment agencies in Bangladesh and other labour-sending countries have raised concerns that restricting access to a limited number of agencies could lead to the re-emergence of a recruitment syndicate and undermine fair competition.

According to the joint statement, thousands of recruitment agencies in worker-sending countries are properly licensed and legally operating. These agencies, it said, deserve equal, transparent and non-discriminatory access to legitimate recruitment opportunities.

"Any system that grants preferential or exclusive access to a limited number of agencies may undermine the principles of fair competition, transparency and ethical recruitment," the associations said.

They also warned that such arrangements could potentially increase costs for employers and migrant workers while limiting their choices.

The associations respectfully urged the Malaysian government and all relevant stakeholders to review the FWCMS recruitment mechanism and ensure that recruitment opportunities are distributed through an open and competitive system.

They further called for equal and transparent treatment of all qualified and licensed recruitment agencies, stronger protection of migrant workers' rights and welfare, and meaningful consultation with recognised recruitment agency associations in labour-sending countries.

The four organisations stressed that their joint position was not directed against Malaysia or against digital recruitment. Rather, they described it as a collective call for transparency, accountability, equal opportunity and freedom from monopolistic recruitment practices.

The joint declaration has added fresh momentum to demands for a syndicate-free, transparent and equitable Malaysian labour market, as recruitment agencies continue to press for the sector to remain open to all eligible and licensed operators.