BUTTERWORTH: While news of Bangladeshi workers entering the labour market here has been described as “welcoming news”, the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) hopes for zero employment cost in the process.

       Its Penang chairman Datuk Lee Teong Li said the Bangladeshi embassy needs to ensure zero employment cost when the workers are brought in.

       “Bangladeshi workers are complaining that they have paid agent fees in their home country.

       “Although we have removed agents with direct recruitment by employers, we have to ensure issues do not remain when bringing in these workers,” he said.

       Lee also requested that the Human Resources Ministry consider approving more female workers for the electrical and electronic sectors as these make for a more conducive working environment for them.

       Earlier, the Human Resources Ministry said it had received 200,000 applications for Bangladeshi foreign workers, which are presently being vetted.

       Its minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan said workers would be allowed for all sectors once the process is completed.

       Small and Medium Enterprises Association (Samenta) national secretary Yeoh Seng Hooi said the news of having Bangladeshi workers in the workforce here was a positive development.

       “The SMEs hope a sufficient number of workers are given to them as they are facing a backlog in production for local and export orders.

       “We need to expedite the implementation so the workers can come in as soon as possible as customers are ‘breathing down their necks’,” added Yeoh.

       Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) Penang chapter chairman K. Raj Kumar said the hotel industry would need a large number of foreign workers with the reopening of the country’s borders on April 1.

       “We hope the industry benefits from the country’s move of bringing in the Bangladeshi workers as we are under tremendous pressure due to a shortage of workers.”

       Meanwhile, Saravanan, when launching the HRD Corp Open Day at a hotel here, said induction courses would be made compulsory for all foreign workers so that they know their rights during their stay here.

       “No agents will be used to bring in foreign workers, as employers will have to recruit workers directly to eliminate abuse by agents.

       “There will be no more special approvals for ministers to bring in foreign workers and ewages system will be implemented where foreign workers must be paid salaries by the seventh of every month,” he said.

       He also said the claims of forced labour in Malaysia had resulted in an export ban of products of local businesses.

       “This has put the country’s human rights standing in question on the international stage and we need to address them quickly, progressively and effectively.

       “I have also instructed the ministry and related departments to implement the necessary measures to combat the problem.”

       He also appealed to countries like the United States and Britain not to victimise Malaysia and the companies involved.

       “In another five years, all foreign workers will be housed at the Centralised Labour Quarters (CLQ) to ensure proper accommodation and care.

       “This will smoothen the monitoring process as all outside the CLQ will be regarded as illegal workers,” said Saravanan.