KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 7 — For some Nepali citizens, going to Malaysia to work meant a chance at a decent life.
But what was “promised” was nothing like the hard reality of their employment in Malaysia.
Among the many difficulties Nepali migrant labourers encounter here are inadequate pay, hazardous working conditions, and small dorms.
The Migration for Development and Equality (MIDEQ) reports that in 2022, the contribution of Nepali migrant workers to Malaysia’s GDP was 23%.
Before Malaysian companies can be connected to hiring firms in Nepal, the Nepali government requires that they undertake screening to guarantee that specific standards for the safety and protection of Nepali workers are met.
Co-investigator with MIDEQ Anita Ghimire stated that these recruitment companies might also be connected to intermediaries in Malaysia.
According to her, when there is a need for labour in Malaysia, informal agents will contact locals about job openings and submit applications on behalf of potential migrants to recruiting agencies. recruiting companies will then promote this information in media.
After that, the hiring companies will take care of the documentation and work with the Nepali government to get the prospective employees’ labour approval.
In order to determine the reasons behind migrant workers’ deportation, co-director of MIDEQ Katharine Jones stated that it is critical to examine the problems from both the sending and receiving sides.
The Nepali migrant labourers belong to the “informal route” for a few reasons.
According to Jones, “brokers can choose different routes, and paperwork may not always be submitted correctly in Nepal or Malaysia.”
“The government of Nepal mandates that recruitment agencies be held liable for any issues that may occur to the migrant worker through the legal route, so it’s in the business interest of the recruitment agencies to send as many as possible through an informal channel,” Ghimire continued.
She added that, despite the fact that the migrant workers went through the legal process as individuals, another factor is that these workers were hired by a Malaysian outsourcing business rather than a business that directly needs their services.
The outsourcing companies will then send them to work informally for other companies.
Ghimire said it is important to note that there is no way for the workers to know that they have been recruited by an outsourcing company until they arrive.
“Only workers who have been employed in Malaysia for a few years can use their networks to identify if it’s an outsourcing company or not,” she added.
Jones said upon arrival in Malaysia, migrant workers are sometimes denied the right to hold a copy of their contract.
Ghimire explained that what is worse is that when there is ambiguity or a supply of incorrect information, the company will have them sign a different contract from what the recruiter gave them, and they have no choice but to accept it since they are already here.
According to a report by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) titled “Assessment of Causes and Contributing Factors to Migrant Workers Becoming Undocumented in Malaysia” migrant workers often leave their employers due to various reasons including abuse, etc.
Their work permits are tied to their employer so when they opt to change employers, their work permit is invalidated, causing them to become undocumented.
An organisation called MIDEQ works to translate information and concepts into laws and procedures that could enhance the quality of life for immigrants, their families, and their communities.
The gender gap in migration, migrant perception, knowledge, and decision-making, and intermediary facilitation were the main topics of the MIDEQ Nepal-Malaysia study.
It was done in 2020 and 2021 by interviewing 98 participants.
The report by IOM was conducted to explore how documented migrant workers become undocumented during employment in Malaysia, with a specific focus on the manufacturing sector and migrant workers from Bangladesh, Indonesia and Nepal with 40 respondents. The report was published in August this year.
