Kathmandu, September 11
The government has launched an investigation into the process of allowing only a limited number of recruitment agencies to send Nepali workers to Malaysia amid controversy over a list of 25 agencies selected for the job recruitment process.
The Ministry of Youth, Labour and Employment has directed the Department of Foreign Employment to investigate the 25 agencies, including their transactions from the time they were established and the basis on which they were granted permission to send workers to Malaysia.
Malaysia had earlier published a list of 25 Nepali recruitment agencies authorised to send workers to the country. Following widespread criticism, Nepal suspended the pre-approval and document verification processes for workers travelling to Malaysia.
During the suspension, Malaysia’s Foreign Worker Central Management System (FWCMS) listed another 250 Nepali recruitment agencies as sub-agents of the 25 agencies.
Following the ministry’s directive, the department is preparing to seek explanations from the 250 agencies over the basis for their inclusion in the Malaysian system. It also plans to ask the Nepali Embassy in Malaysia to suspend pre-approval and document attestation for Malaysia-bound workers before issuing the notices.
Department Director General Navaraj Dhakal said action was being initiated in accordance with the Constitution and existing laws.
“This is not only against the law but also against the Constitution. Since the arrangement obstructs free competition, we are studying the matter for action under the existing legal provisions,” Dhakal said.
The Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies said limiting Malaysia recruitment to a small number of agencies could create a syndicate in the sector. Association President Dik Bahadur Khatri said Nepal has around 1,100 recruitment agencies and questioned the basis for allowing only 25 to send workers to Malaysia.
Khatri said the arrangement could also affect workers travelling under the employer-pay principle, who he claimed account for around 25 to 30 per cent of Nepali workers going to Malaysia.
The government’s investigation will cover the reasons the 25 agencies were selected and their transactions related to Malaysia-bound recruitment.
