Dhaka-KL deal on workers hiring to remain valid

UNB, Dhaka
Malaysia’s decision to halt the recruitment of new foreign workers will not affect the validity of the deal signed with Bangladesh as it will remain valid once the country lifts the current ban, said its Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Richard Riot.
“This is because the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was for a period of five years,” Malaysian media outlet The Star Online quoted Datuk Seri as saying in a report from Petaling Jaya on Thursday.
The freeze does not make the agreements ‘null and void’ and the agreement will remain valid when the freeze is lifted, Riot quoted as saying.Malaysia has signed agreements for intake of foreign labour not only with Bangladesh but with seven countries, he said.
On Saturday, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the Cabinet had decided to put a stop to the recruitment of new foreign workers into the country.
He said employers who needed workers would have to apply to legalise existing foreigners in the country without work permits or whose permits have expired.
Dr Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Home Minister, said employers had until June 30 to legalise such foreign workers.
Meanwhile, Malaysia Works Ministry said the government’s decision to freeze the intake of foreign workers would not disrupt existing construction projects.
Its Minister Fadillah Yusof said the current workforce was sufficient to meet demand.
In the long run, he said the industry must reduce its dependency on foreign labour by leveraging on the Industrialised Building System (IBS) method and mechanisation in construction.