The agreement between Nepal and Malaysia today has re-opened the prospect for Nepali migrant workers to go to Malaysia for foreign employment, though after a long gap.
The joint working group (JWG) meeting of officials from both the countries which began in Kuala Lumpur of Malaysia on September 10, has reached an agreement to open the channel for Nepali workers to go to Malaysia for employment, confirmed the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security (MoLESS). “We agreed to resume the stalled process of labour supply from Nepal to Malaysia,” the ministry official said.
Earlier, the meeting was expected to facilitate and give momentum to the stalled process of labour supply to Malaysia. Authorities from the two governments signed a 10-point deal after the conclusion of a two-day meeting of the JWG in the Malaysian capital.
Although both the countries had reached a bilateral labour agreement in October, some technical issues remained to be finalised, which has delayed the resumption of the Nepali migrant workers to Malaysia. The October agreement between Nepal and Malaysia had relieved Nepali workers of all expenses, including recruitment service charges, airfare, visa fees, medical check-ups and security screening costs, all of which Malaysia-bound workers were required to pay earlier. But the agreement has yet to be implemented due to various hurdles, including one related to the medical examination of outbound workers.
The Malaysian government is now ready to address the issue of medical test, which was one of the contesting issues between the two sides, the ministry said, adding that Nepal has agreed to resume medical tests through existing 36 health institutions. “Out of 122 listed institutions, remaining 86 will be soon approved.”
The Malaysian team will also visit Nepal in November to finalise some remaining technical details. According to the agreement, the Malaysian team will inspect 86 health institutions – out of 122 enlisted by the Nepal government – to include them on a list of authorised medical examination facilities.
A seven-member team from Nepal – that went to Kuala Lumpur – is led by head of Labour Relation and Social Protection Section at the ministry Ram Prasad Ghimire, and comprises representatives from the Foreign Ministry, Law Ministry and Nepali Embassy in Malaysia. The supply of Nepali migrant workers to Malaysia has been halted since last May after the government cracked down on Immigration Security Clearance and One Stop Centre that had been levying additional charges on Nepali migrants.
Malaysia has been one of the preferred labour destinations for Nepali migrant workers until the government imposed a ban – after its findings that Malaysia-bound workers were forced to pay additional money illegally for a private Malaysian company established in Kathmandu – on its citizens going to Malaysia for jobs fifteen months ago.
Malaysia’s closure has also reflected in the country’s foreign employment sector as the number of workers migrating abroad dwindled significantly last year. In the fiscal year 2018-19, some 42,146 Nepali workers left for work in Malaysia. The falling number of Nepali migrant workers to Malaysia is going to bleed the remittance inflow sooner than later.
Despite the announcement of resumption of the recruitment process, officials of the Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (NAFEA) said that it is likely to take a few more months before workers start leaving for jobs.
The joint working group (JWG) meeting of officials from both the countries which began in Kuala Lumpur of Malaysia on September 10, has reached an agreement to open the channel for Nepali workers to go to Malaysia for employment, confirmed the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security (MoLESS). “We agreed to resume the stalled process of labour supply from Nepal to Malaysia,” the ministry official said.
Earlier, the meeting was expected to facilitate and give momentum to the stalled process of labour supply to Malaysia. Authorities from the two governments signed a 10-point deal after the conclusion of a two-day meeting of the JWG in the Malaysian capital.
Although both the countries had reached a bilateral labour agreement in October, some technical issues remained to be finalised, which has delayed the resumption of the Nepali migrant workers to Malaysia. The October agreement between Nepal and Malaysia had relieved Nepali workers of all expenses, including recruitment service charges, airfare, visa fees, medical check-ups and security screening costs, all of which Malaysia-bound workers were required to pay earlier. But the agreement has yet to be implemented due to various hurdles, including one related to the medical examination of outbound workers.
The Malaysian government is now ready to address the issue of medical test, which was one of the contesting issues between the two sides, the ministry said, adding that Nepal has agreed to resume medical tests through existing 36 health institutions. “Out of 122 listed institutions, remaining 86 will be soon approved.”
The Malaysian team will also visit Nepal in November to finalise some remaining technical details. According to the agreement, the Malaysian team will inspect 86 health institutions – out of 122 enlisted by the Nepal government – to include them on a list of authorised medical examination facilities.
A seven-member team from Nepal – that went to Kuala Lumpur – is led by head of Labour Relation and Social Protection Section at the ministry Ram Prasad Ghimire, and comprises representatives from the Foreign Ministry, Law Ministry and Nepali Embassy in Malaysia. The supply of Nepali migrant workers to Malaysia has been halted since last May after the government cracked down on Immigration Security Clearance and One Stop Centre that had been levying additional charges on Nepali migrants.
Malaysia has been one of the preferred labour destinations for Nepali migrant workers until the government imposed a ban – after its findings that Malaysia-bound workers were forced to pay additional money illegally for a private Malaysian company established in Kathmandu – on its citizens going to Malaysia for jobs fifteen months ago.
Malaysia’s closure has also reflected in the country’s foreign employment sector as the number of workers migrating abroad dwindled significantly last year. In the fiscal year 2018-19, some 42,146 Nepali workers left for work in Malaysia. The falling number of Nepali migrant workers to Malaysia is going to bleed the remittance inflow sooner than later.
Despite the announcement of resumption of the recruitment process, officials of the Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (NAFEA) said that it is likely to take a few more months before workers start leaving for jobs.
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