Malaysia halts system, not recruitment of BD workers, says BMET DG

FE Team | Published: August 26, 2018 23:53:59

Rejecting media reports that Malaysia had halted the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers, a high official said Sunday they suspended a system of hiring Bangladeshi labourers, reports UNB.
The Director General of the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) Selim Reza said the Malaysian government decided to suspend labour recruitment system, Foreign Worker Application System (SPPA- Sistem Pengambilan Pekerja Asing), from September 01.
Ten private agencies of Bangladesh send workers to Malaysia through SPPA online system, said the BMET DG.
The Malaysia government has two online systems-the Integrated Foreign Workers Management system (ePPAx) and SPPA -- to make it easy for employers to recruit foreign workers.
The ePPAx was for the intake of all foreign workers from all other source countries except Bangladesh, while the SPPA was only for the intake of Bangladeshi workers.
The agencies use the system for all the activities, including visa approval, fixing flights, sending medical reports, for sending labourers to Malaysia and the system has been suspended, said Mr Reza.
A high official at the Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry, wishing anonymity, said the ministry received a letter from the Malaysian authorities in this regard on August 21.
He also said further decision in this regard will be taken through discussions between the two countries and after a ministerial meeting.