Malaysia is one of Asia's biggest employers of foreign labour. But recently, cases of deaths, abuse and forced labour have come to light. What is going on? Who is protecting these migrant workers?
KATHMANDU Aug 18: Minister for Human Resources of Malaysia, Datuk Richard Riot Jaem, is arriving here on Wednesday on a two-day working visit to Nepal. However, there will be no bilateral labour agreement during the visit.
Ambassador of Nepal to Malaysia, Niranjan Man Singh Basnyat told RSS over the telephone from Kuala Lumpur that the Malaysian Minister would hold discussions with high officials of the government of Nepal about the management of Nepali migrant workers in his country.
Human Resources Minister Jaem is arriving here leading a nine-member delegation after completing his working visit to Bangladesh.
On the occasion, Minister Jaem could hold discussions on the issues of mutual welfare including bilateral labour agreement and providing opportunity to Nepali women as domestic help in Malaysia.
The government of Nepal has not so far given a formal permission to women to go to Malaysia as a domestic help.
Stating that discussion about women worker would be held, Spokesperson at the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Buddhi Bahadur Khadka clarified that he was not confident that any decision to this regard would be made.
He expressed the belief that the visit of Malaysian Human Resources Minister would be fruitful to know the view of Malaysia about labour agreement and in order to finalize it soon at a time when the government of Nepal has already sent a draft of agreement paper regarding labour agreement, adding that a deep discussion would be held to return the Nepalese home, who are in prison due to various reasons, as soon as possible.
Khadka informed that the government would raise the different issues with high-priority including welfare and protection of Nepali labour and establishing direct relation between the foreign employment entrepreneurs of Nepal and employment providing companies.
Malaysia has been providing employment opportunity to Nepali workers for the past 13 years. Now, there are three million migrant workers. Of them, around 700,000 are Nepali workers.
Ambassador Basnyat said that demand of Nepali worker has increased in Malaysia after Malaysia banned the entry of Bangladeshi workers.
Diplomatic relations between Nepal and Malaysia was established in 1960.
Malaysian Minister Jaem is scheduled to hold separate meeting with Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, Bamdev Gautam, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mahendra Bahadur Pandey and Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Tek Bahadur Gurung.
Published on 2014-08-18 09:32:53
Source: My Republica
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