Malaysia will not extend deadline for Bangladeshi workers

The home ministry of Malaysia will not extend the deadline for Bangladeshi workers with approved work visas who missed the May 31 cut-off date to reach Malaysia.

Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail informed this on Wednesday. 

At the end of last month, agents and employers were rushing in Bangladeshi workers to meet the May 31 deadline set by the government in January for them to reach here.

In an FMT report last Sunday, Bangladesh’s minister of state for expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment, almost 17,000 Bangladeshi workers had missed the deadline.

“More than 20,000 foreign workers entered (the country) from May 28 to 31. Upon checking, we found that their visas were approved last November.

“If employers truly need foreign workers, if their visas were approved and they had tickets, then (they should have) come. Why wait until May 31?”

While Saifuddin said no new approvals would be granted to employers to bring in foreign workers, his ministry would consider each request based on its merits.

He was speaking to reporters while accompanying Penang governor Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak on a visit to Seberang Perai Prison in Nibong Tebal, Penang. According to reports, the workers have had to pay high recruitment and flight fees.