[STATEMENT] End Exploitative Recruitment and Employment of Bangladeshi Migrant Workers
Statement of International Migrants Alliance (IMA-Asia Pacific)
The International Migrants Alliance Asia Pacific raises strong protest against the recent decision of the Malaysian and Bangladeshi governments to resume the recruitment of Bangladeshi migrant workers, sidelining their accountability in supposedly ending labor exploitation that has long plagued the migration and employment systems in both countries. For years, Bangladeshi migrants in Malaysia have endured systemic abuse, while both governments have failed to implement meaningful reforms or ensure accountability. The lack of meaningful reforms Instead of instituting justice and protection, these governments have emboldened trafficking networks, corrupt agencies, and state-backed syndicates that profit from the labor and suffering of the poor.
Bangladeshi migrant workers continue to be charged exorbitant recruitment fees of up to RM25,000 (USD 5,000–6,000), equivalent to 15 months of Malaysia’s minimum wage, plunging them into debt bondage and forcing them into undocumented and exploitative work. Hundreds of thousands have been recruited for fake or non-existent jobs, and while some are courageously filing claims over fraudulent fees and unpaid wages in Malaysian courts, these legal avenues offer only a sliver of hope in a system rigged against the poor. Despite this, the Malaysian government continues to bring in new workers while refusing to legalize a significant undocumented workforce and refugee population already inside its borders, driven purely by profit.
The profit motive is entrenched in a system where the government collects substantial revenue from worker levies, permits, and mandatory fees channeled through privatized systems such as BESTINET SDN BHD. These companies, often linked to political elites, charge for medical screenings, biometric data collection, and centralized management systems—all backed by state contracts. Additionally, by allocating recruitment quotas and licenses to selected agencies, and profiting from periodic legalization and deportation programs, the Malaysian state benefits both directly and indirectly from the continuous cycle of recruitment and exploitation.
At the center of this exploitation is BESTINET SDN BHD—a private IT company deeply entangled in Malaysia’s labor migration system—facilitating the abuse of hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshi workers through its monopolized management systems. The involvement of BESTINET and similar actors reflects how privatization and syndicate control have eroded transparency and workers' rights. Yet both the Malaysian and Bangladeshi governments have refused to decisively act against these corrupt structures. In Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) and the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) have failed to protect migrant workers from fraud and overcharging. In Malaysia, decades of crackdowns, raids, and mass detentions—rather than rights-based policy—have only perpetuated migrant workers’ suffering.
IMA Asia Pacific is strongly calling on the Bangladeshi and Malaysian governments to swiftly address cases of fraud, abuse, and injustices enacted by the likes of BESTINET and BAIRA. Instead of depending on such unlawful entites, both governments must instead directly support and uphold the rights of all Bangladeshi workers at all levels of recruitment and beyond. As long as they continue partnerships with private agencies and syndicates, abuses will surely continue to proliferate. The Malaysian government must include all undocumented workers in its social and labor protection policies, including Bangladeshi migrants and refugees, and uphold their rights to live and work with dignity. Meanwhile, the Bangaladeshi government must strictly implement migrant-centered regulations and mechanisms by dismantling unnecessary recruitment fees, tearing down BAIRA's monopoly, amending the Emigration Ordinance of 1982 and the Overseas Employment Act of 2013, and enforcing strict oversight mechanisms of agencies.
We demand an immediate end to the exploitation and neglect of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia. Both governments must be held accountable for enabling a system that allows private profiteers and recruitment cartels like BESTINET and BAIRA to thrive. They must immediately reject the syndicate-driven recruitment system. In addition, a joint compensation and justice task force must be created to deliver redress to over 500,000 stranded and exploited Bangladeshi workers. Without bold action and genuine political will, new recruitment is not only irresponsible—it amounts to complicity in the continued abuse of migrant workers.
July 05, 2025
