KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Home Ministry and the Human Resources Ministry have jointly decided to implement a process to legalize undocumented foreign workers residing in the country and allow them to change employers if desired. The decision was made following a meeting of the joint committee of the two ministries on Thursday (May 8).
This new policy offers an opportunity for undocumented Bangladeshis currently living in Malaysia to gain legal status. Importantly, it also provides a pathway for these workers to change their place of employment.
Following the meeting, Malaysian Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution stated that employers will now be required to be present during the repatriation of foreign workers. Action will be taken against employers for any negligence or failure that harms their workers, and they may even face restrictions on new quota applications.
Furthermore, the meeting reached a policy-level decision to recruit approximately 1 million foreign workers. However, the Malaysian government has not yet disclosed the specific procedures for this recruitment process.
