About 40,000 Bangladeshi workers are expected to find jobs in Malaysia within next one year, officials have said on a note of optimism.
Of the total, Kula Lumpur is set to recruit 12,000 in its plantation sector in Sarawak state while others are expected to get jobs in construction and home- management sectors, they have said.
"We hope that nearly 40,000 Bangladeshi workers will get an opportunity to go to Malaysia within a year with jobs in different sectors," Secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Khondaker Showkat Hossain told the FE.
He said the Malaysian authorities concerned recently informed the Bangladesh government about their decision to recruit workers.
The Malaysian cabinet has already approved a proposal for hiring workers from Bangladesh in plantation, construction and home-management sectors, he mentioned.
A high-powered delegation will fly to Malaysia in the first week of November to discuss manpower-recruitment issues, the top ministry official said.
"Hopefully, the decision regarding manpower recruitment will be finalised during a meeting between the two countries,” scheduled to be held in Malaysia early next month.
He said all necessary activites related to workers’ deployment have been done before the scheduled visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Malaysia on December 3.
Mr Hossain, however, said although the outflow of manpower to Malaysia is still lower, it will increase in the coming days.
Despite a bulging demand for workers, only 7,727 Bangladeshis went to Malaysia after the signing of deal in November 2012.
Malaysia needs nearly 1.0 million workers for plantation, construction, agriculture, manufacturing, and service sectors. Of fficials has earlier said that Bangladesh can send nearly 0.5 million within five year.
Sector-insiders blamed the government-to-government (G to G) migration process for the setback, saying that it failed to create the labour demand from employer's side properly.
In 2009, Malaysia impoed a ban on manpower hiring from Bangladesh following illegal labour export by a section of recruiting agencies. But, after long negotiations, the market is poised to open up.
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