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BANGLADESHI nationals form the largest contingent of foreign workers in Malaysia, with 803,332 holding active Temporary Employment Visit Passes (PLKS) as of 30 June, according to the Immigration Department of Malaysia.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail confirmed in a written parliamentary reply that Bangladeshi workers account for 37 percent of all foreign workers in the country, making Bangladesh the top source nation for low-skilled migrant labour.
He also revealed that “based on data for arrests of undocumented migrants from Bangladesh in 2022 and 2023, a total of 790 individuals were detained for overstaying their permits”.
Saifuddin was responding to a question from Hassan Abdul Karim (PH–Pasir Gudang), who had asked for data on Bangladeshi workers entering Malaysia in 2022 and 2023, including how many remain with valid documentation, how many became undocumented, and how many have returned home.
The Minister stated that 49,353 Bangladeshi workers entered Malaysia in 2022, the year the country reopened its borders following the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In 2023, to support national economic recovery, the government introduced the Relaxation Plan for the Employment of Foreign Workers — a temporary mechanism aimed at accelerating and simplifying the hiring process,” Saifuddin said.
Under that plan, 397,548 new Bangladeshi workers were recorded entering the country during 2023 alone.
He added that 20,331 Bangladeshi PLKS holders were repatriated by their employers in 2022, followed by another 23,065 in 2023. - August 26, 2025
