Malaysia and Bangladesh agree to expedite worker recruitment with a focus on transparency, lower costs, and a new AI-based system to reduce intermediaries
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia and Bangladesh have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation on labour migration.
The focus is on creating a more transparent, inclusive and integrity-driven system for worker recruitment.
The matter was highlighted during a courtesy call by a Bangladesh delegation on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan said key discussions centred on ensuring a safe, orderly and legal migration process.
Both nations agreed to expedite the reopening of the labour market for Bangladeshi workers based on Malaysia’s sectoral needs.
They also committed to ensuring a fair, ethical and transparent recruitment process.
“This includes reducing the role of intermediaries, lowering costs, and utilising authorised and qualified recruitment agencies,” Ramanan said in a Facebook post.
Malaysia presented initiatives for a technology and artificial intelligence-based recruitment system.
The system aims to reduce reliance on intermediaries and ensure recruitment costs are fully borne by employers.
This aligns with the International Labour Organization’s Employer Pays principle.
Bangladesh expressed full support for the initiative and readiness to cooperate in its implementation.
Discussions also covered legal issues and concerns over human trafficking in worker recruitment.
Both sides stressed the importance of upholding the rule of law and ensuring transparent justice processes.
Cooperation in skills development, training and certification was also emphasised.
This aims to ensure better matching between industry needs and the workforce to enhance productivity.
Ramanan said engagement sessions would continue regularly to ensure effective implementation.
“This cooperation reflects a shared commitment to building a fairer, more sustainable and globally competitive labour migration system,” he said.