KATHMANDU: The verification of laborers’ demand has started after the Malaysian government opened the labor market for Nepali migrant workers in August. Manpower companies, since then have started trading in demands from the job recruitment companies in Malaysia.

Some manpower companies are busy lobbying for demands by deputing an agent in Malaysia, according to officials at manpower companies.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security has taken exception to the manpower companies buying the demands in collaboration with the staffers of the job recruiting companies.

“The agents of manpower companies are lobbying hard and competing with each other to buy more demands,” said manpower professional Kumad Khanal.

The Nepal government has signed a deal with Malaysia to send Nepali workers to the destination free of cost.

Agents are accused of pocketing the allowances and facilities allotted by the Malaysian job recruiting companies to Nepali workers.

“The government must look into this issue,” said Khanal, adding, “The agents have become the main crux of the problem surrounding the manpower agencies.”

Due to unabated horse-trading on the demands, Malaysian companies have been giving quotas to other countries previously allocated for Nepal.

The government has to immediately tackle the irregularities created by the agents. The Department of Foreign Employment has said that it has received complaints that the manpower supply agencies are demanding Rs 160,000 from an aspirant migrant worker.

Trading in demands in cahoots with Human Resources

Nepali agents in Malaysia are buying demands in cahoots with HR officials. Agents have been purchasing demand for 2,000 Ringitt per migrant worker, a manpower entrepreneur told Khabarhub seeking anonymity.

Due to horse-trading on the demands, Malaysian companies have been giving quotas to other countries previously allocated for Nepal.

As a result of it, some Malaysian companies have given quotas to other countries. The verification of demands is being carried out in line with the labor agreement reached between Nepal and Malaysia, said Nepali Ambassador to Malaysia Dr. Udaya Raj Pandey.  “Even though we have heard about it, no complaints have been lodged at the embassy so far,” said Pandey.

Pandey further said that the embassy has been urging the concerned department of Malaysia to give the demands to the Department of Labor. The embassy is also hunting out the agents buying the demands. Malaysian recruitment process which ceased on May 15, 2108, resumed on September 15, 2019.

Malaysia itself to verify demands

The Malaysian labor department has started verifying the demands allocated for labors by the job recruiting companies from Malaysia itself.

Earlier, the Nepali Embassy in Malaysia had been looking after it.

Manpower agencies in Nepal now cannot take an unnecessary fee from the Malaysian job aspirants. Manpower companies supplying workers receive 1,050 Ringgit through the Labor Department of Malaysia and that the service fee is shared between Nepal’s manpower company and manpower recruiting agency in Malaysia.

17 processes to undergo 

Job recruiting companies in Malaysia have to undergo 17 processes before recruiting a Nepali worker as per the new rule introduced by the Ministry of Human Resources and the Ministry of Home Affairs of Malaysia.