Charles Santiago
There are around 400,000 Nepali workers in Malaysia.
Previously, employers could recruit through any agency licensed by Nepal.
Since 22 August, however, they have been restricted to just 25 agencies listed on the Foreign Workers Centralised Management System (FWCMS) portal.
Nepal was neither consulted nor informed. Kathmandu discovered the decision only when the list appeared online. If Malaysia acts unilaterally whenever it suits us, what is the value of our labour Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)?
The Ministry of Human Resources must answer a simple question: what criteria and eligibility requirements were used to select these 25 agencies? Who made the decision, and why was the process allegedly not transparent?
We have seen this before. Restricting the Bangladesh-Malaysia recruitment corridor to a handful of agencies enabled a syndicate. Why is Malaysia now repeating the same failed model with Nepal?
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In response, Nepal’s government has now suspended all 25 selected agencies. Malaysia’s unilateral decision has disrupted recruitment and damaged trust with a key labour-sending partner.
Selecting just 25 agencies concentrates market access in a few hands. That amounts to monopolising the industry, weakening competition and risking a higher debt burden for workers.
The MoHR’s unilateral decision has come at a cost. It has undermined trust between both countries, disrupting worker recruitment and operational planning for Malaysian employers. So how exactly do the ministry’s plans benefit Malaysia?
Update: Since this piece was written, the 25 listed Nepali agencies have agreed to withdraw from the FWCMS after discussions with Nepal’s labour ministry, and are submitting written letters to remove their names – though the MoHR has yet to explain its selection criteria.
Charles Santiago is a prominent Malaysian politician, economist and human rights advocate who served three terms as the MP for Klang and has twice chaired the National Water Services Commission.
The views expressed in Aliran's media statements and the NGO statements we have endorsed reflect Aliran's official stand. Views and opinions expressed in other pieces published here do not necessarily reflect Aliran's official position.
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