Good news for undocumented Bangladeshis in Malaysia
The regularising programme of undocumented foreign workers has certain conditions, including submission of requisition by the local employers
Several lakh undocumented Bangladeshi nationals working in Malaysia will get an opportunity for regularisation as the country's government has announced a special programme.
The recently announced scheme titled "Recalibration Program" will allow undocumented workers from 15 countries, including Bangladesh, in the country in four sectors – construction, manufacturing, planation and agriculture.
The programme began on 16 November and will continue until 30 June next year, according to the Bangladesh Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
A notice of the embassy's Facebook page said there is no vendor or agent to be documented under the programme. Only the Malaysian employer or employing agency will be allowed to apply for the regularisation of their undocumented staffers via email.
The embassy said unrecorded individuals cannot be documented on their own or through others as the Malaysian government has not appointed any agent or vendor. The employer or the company itself will process the application.
The Bangladesh Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, therefore, suggested unregistered Bangladeshis not to make any financial transaction or fall in any trap in this regard.
According to an unofficial estimate, around 5 lakh Bangladeshis are working in Malaysia at present. However, there is no specific information about how many undocumented Bangladeshis are staying in that country.
The number of unrecorded Bangladeshis in Malaysia is assumed to be 2-3 lakh, according to an unofficial account.
