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Manpower export to Malaysia in stalemate

KL policy changes blamed for non-implementation of 2003 Malaysia-Bangladesh MoU

RAFIQ HASAN
Bangladesh is still not sure about the resumption of manpower export to Malaysia, although a memorandum of understanding was signed in October 2003 in this regard.
According to sources, the uncertainty arises due to frequent policy changes by Kuala Lumpur regarding manpower export. The Malaysia-Bangladesh Joint Commission meeting in Dhaka, which ended Tuesday, also failed to reach any clear-cut consensus about the issue.
Malaysian foreign minister told the meeting that Kuala Lumpur would hire manpower on the basis of his country's requirements.
But according to media report, Malaysia has been suffering from an acute shortage of workers in its mills and factories for the last couple of years. Facing tremendous pressure from the employers, the country has already assured them of unlimited manpower recruitment from many countries such as Indonesia and sri Lanka. It is also looking for workers from Pakistan, India, Vietnam and Nepal to address the manpower shortage, media report added.
"The position of Bangladesh in this regard is very 'confusing' as there is no official intention or decla-
ration from Kuala Lumpur to resume worker recruitment from here," said a high official of foreign ministry.
Meanwhile, some 132 private companies in Malaysia have expressed desire to recruit people from Bangladesh and have sent demand notes.
Dhaka has compiled the demand notes and prepared a list of 28,000 workers as demanded by Malaysian employers, according to sources in the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment.
Although the Malaysian home ministry approved the list earlier, Kuala Lumpur again sought the list for being approved by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The list included the workers who came back home during the crackdown and the amnesty declared by the Malaysian authority several times.
Earlier, Malaysia had asked for setting up training centres and ensuring primary training for the Bangladeshi workers who seek jobs in that country.
Kuala Lumpur also informed Dhaka that it is preparing a syllabus for the training centres. But after some progress in this regard and visit of a number of delegations, Malaysia appraised Bangladesh that it would recruit only those workers who had once served in that country.
Dhaka compiled the list of returnees from Malaysia and found that a total of 8,442 workers came back home during the crackdown. Out of those, only 2000 workers intend to return to their overseas jobs.
But the list did not shape up because of dilly-dallying of the Malaysian authority, the source said.
According to sources, Kuala Lumpur is very much annoyed with Dhaka over a number of economic and political issues. Bangladesh's candidacy for the post of the secretary general of Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) made the relationship between the two countries very cold.
Besides, many Malaysian companies were not awarded contracts in a number of sectors such as power and energy and telecommunications, although they were the lowest bidders, taking toll on the relationship between the two Muslim countries, added the sources.
The proposed visit by Malaysian Premier Abdullah Ahmed Badawi to Bangladesh also remains suspended for several months.
Malaysia stopped recruiting workers from Bangladesh in 1997 following a huge influx of undocumented workers.