The Malaysian Ministry of Human Resources has announced the suspension of licenses for 47 recruitment agencies, according to a ministry statement issued on Friday (May 31).
Rights activists have warned that the Bangladeshi workers who hurriedly traveled to Malaysia in recent days may also fall victim to fraud.
Starting from Saturday (June 1), no more workers will be allowed to enter Malaysia, prompting recruitment agencies to bring in a large number of workers at the last moment.
There have been allegations that after bringing in workers from abroad, recruitment agencies are not facilitating their rehabilitation from the airport. As a result, many newly arrived workers are stranded at the airport, which is now overcrowded. This information was reported by the Hong Kong-based news outlet South China Morning Post.
The report indicates that thousands of workers have arrived in Malaysia in the past few days, most of whom are Bangladeshi. The jobs they were promised might be fake, leading them into fraudulent schemes.
Labor rights activists informed the media that brokers enticed Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia with false job promises. This rampant fraud led Malaysia to shut down its labor market in the past. However, the activities of these brokers and fraudsters have not ceased, they added.
Rights activist Andy Hall said most of these workers are at risk of modern-day slavery. These workers have likely fallen into traps set by corrupt officials, agencies, and brokers, lured by fake employers and fraudulent job offers.
