A file picture of Bangladeshi workers at the KLIA holding area.
PUTRAJAYA: There are a total of 1.5 million Bangladeshis registered for future employment in foreign countries, but that is not the number of workers coming to Malaysia, clarifies Datuk Seri Richard Riot.
"The perception that 1.5 million workers will be brought in from Bangladesh to work in Malaysia is not true," said the Human Resources Minister.
"The figure is, in fact, the number of Bangladeshis registered with its ministry of expatriates' welfare and overseas employment for the purpose of seeking employment in foreign countries, including Malaysia, " he told a press conference here on Friday.
He said the Bangladeshis were seeking employment in 139 countries, including Malaysia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
He hoped the clarification would allay fears and concern that a huge influx of foreigners, particularly from Bangladesh, were on their way to Malaysia.
As of December last year, there are 2,135,035 documented foreign workers in Malaysia, of which 282,287 are from Bangladesh.
Riot also said the Memorandum of Understanding signed in Dhaka on Thursday was similar to what the Government had previously signed with Indonesia, India, Thailand, Cambodia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.
