KUALA LUMPUR: The issue of foreign workers in debt traps should be addressed by both the source country and Malaysia, says an analyst.
North South University-Bangladesh South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance (SIPG) director Prof SK Tawfique M. Haque said these migrant workers pay around RM17,000 to RM25,000 to come to work in Malaysia.
But they often end up getting abused in their jobs while their passports are confiscated even though such acts are illegal, he added.
“The fear among them to seek redress also prevents them access to justice, which allows modern slavery to continue,” he said here yesterday.
Asked on why foreign workers keep coming back here despite the lack of improvement to the recruitment process, while there are claims of exploitation of the workers at the source country, Prof Tawfique said the matter has been discussed among the Bangladesh and Malaysian civil society, Bangladesh Parliament and the Dewan Rakyat.
“There are two sides to this,” he said.
Prof Tawfique was speaking after revealing the research findings of “Bangladeshi Migrant Workers in Malaysia: Modern Slavery in the Country of Destination” here yesterday.
The report was prepared by himself, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA) senior lecturer Dr Mahbubul Haque and UniSZA research associate Nasnurul Hakimah.
It was presented by Prof Tawfique and Nasnurul Hakimah at the Institut Masa Depan Malaysia (Masa) here yesterday.
The findings revealed that the workers had to endure long working hours; receiving their wages late or nothing at all; no rest days; unsafe and overcrowded housing. Others factors were the issue of undocumented workers, the inability of workers to renew their work permits and high fees charged by agents.
More than 15 million Bangladeshi workers are currently employed in 176 countries worldwide. Malaysia is the second largest destination for these workers after Saudi Arabia.
As of June 2025, there are 803,322 Bangladeshi workers in the country, but the numbers could easily be higher as Malaysia still relies heavily on migrant workers in agriculture, manufacturing and construction sectors, the findings said.
The report said the foreign workers come to work here using methods such as visa with reference; through recruitment agencies or coming to work here by using a tourist visa or illegal entry. These methods expose them to equal risk in terms of vulnerability, weak protection and high fees.
Nasnurul Hakimah cited a visit to Cameron Highlands, where the accommodation for workers did not pass the myGAP (Malaysian Good Agricultural Practices) certification, while their employer had failed to adhere to provisions stipulated in the Employees’ Minimum Standards of Housing, Accommodations and Amenities Act 1990.
She said that the situation was even confirmed by an audit by the Agricultural Department, where workers were found to be living in poor conditions located at the edge of a hill.
However, she added action cannot be carried out as the issue is outside the department’s jurisdiction.
