The government has denied reports that Malaysia has agreed to recruit 200,000 workers from Bangladesh within six months, with Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R Ramanan describing the reported timeline as unrealistic.
Ramanan said any decision to bring in foreign workers would only be made based on verified industry needs and the limits set under the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK13).
He also said the reported figure of 200,000 workers did not reflect Malaysia’s current requirements.
“It does not make sense for 200,000 workers to be recruited within six months. Does that mean more than 1,000 Bangladeshis would have to enter Malaysia every day? It is simply not logical,” he told reporters today.
Ramanan was responding to reports quoting Bangladesh’s Deputy Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam as saying Malaysia would recruit around 200,000 Bangladeshi workers in stages over six months from the end of September.
Government spokesman Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil said yesterday that the Bangladeshi minister’s remarks should not be treated as an official announcement by the Bangladesh government.
He also said Ramanan had informed him that the reported recruitment plan did not represent Malaysia’s position.
Ramanan stressed that any foreign worker recruitment would be considered on a sector-by-sector basis and only where there was a genuine need for foreign labour.
He said each application would first be assessed against the limits set by the Economy Ministry under RMK13 before being brought to the Cabinet for consideration.
“Only when there is a genuine need will the matter be evaluated and discussed by the Cabinet,” he said.
Ramanan said the approach was aimed at ensuring foreign worker recruitment decisions were made in a controlled and responsible manner, based on the actual needs of the economy and industries.
He added that the government would continue to take into account the needs of employers and critical sectors, while prioritising job opportunities for Malaysians and ensuring reliance on foreign workers remained within the approved policy framework.
