Why the Discrepancy for Bangladeshi Workers?

Despite renewing a bilateral labour agreement in December 2021, the hiring of workers from Bangladesh has not resumed following suspension in 2018. Labour agents in Bangladesh object to the restriction of recruitment to 25 agencies selected by the Malaysian government, calling for open market access. How does this reflect on Malaysia's broader foreign labour policy? We discuss the issues at hand with economist Dr. Niaz Asadullah.

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