DHAKA: The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Malaysia and Bangladesh in February last year is expected to be put into effect next week. Bangladesh minister for foreign affairs Md Shahriar Alam said in a Facebook posting the formal request from Malaysia to hire workers from Bangladesh comes under the Government-to-Government Plus agreement. He was informed of the request by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman during the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation emergency meeting earlier this week, reported Prothom Alo.
The request is believed to be part of the estimated 1.5 million workers from Bangladesh deal announced by Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi last year – who will be brought to Malaysia in stages over three years. “These workers will be involved in various fields, especially in the plantation sector and will meet the demands of the job market in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak,” he had reportedly said then. Shahriar also wrote that Malaysia has agreed to issue work permits for Bangladesh citizens who are now living in Malaysia ‘irregularly’ so that they can continue to live and work in Malaysia.
The influx from Bangladesh is expected to mitigate Myanmar’s move early in December to stop its citizens from coming to work in Malaysia Myanmar’s move came after severe criticism from Malaysia over violence in Rakhine State, home to many Rohingyas, which Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has described as “genocide” and called for foreign humanitarian intervention – which had included the latest OIC meeting.
