Malaysia has extended its Foreign Worker Management System (FWCMS) for an additional three years, continuing the recruitment of migrant workers from Bangladesh and 13 other countries. This decision, effective from June 1, introduces revised terms that give the Malaysian government more control over the recruitment process and reduce the fees paid to Bestinet, the agency involved.

Malaysiakini reported that the Malaysian cabinet agreed to this extension after reviewing a proposal from the home ministry. However, the details of the agreement with Bestinet remain unspecified.

The Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) welcomed the extension but called for accurate data on the number of currently stranded migrant workers and urged transparent measures to facilitate their travel to Malaysia.

Two weeks ago, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment had requested an extension from Malaysia’s Human Resources Ministry following Malaysia's March announcement barring workers from Bangladesh and 13 other countries from entering after May 31.

Meanwhile, several hundred Malaysia-bound workers faced uncertainty at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Friday, as many arrived without plane tickets, having been assured by local recruitment agents that tickets would be provided on time.

Last year, Malaysia was the second-largest overseas job market for Bangladeshi workers, with over 400,000 migrating since the labour market reopened in 2022. The market had previously closed in 2008, reopened in 2016, and shut again in 2018 due to corruption allegations before reopening through a new agreement on December 18, 2021.

Earlier in the day, BAIRA Secretary General Ali Haider Chowdhury estimated that around 3,000-4,000 workers missed their flights due to the inability to secure air tickets by the deadline to reach Kuala Lumpur.