Malaysia authorities work ‘overtime’ to clear congestion and backlog of migrant arrivals at KL airport

Habib, a Bangladeshi employer, made his landing at KLIA at 5:30 am on Friday, more than seven hours behind schedule because “immigration problems” at the Dhaka airport prevented him from leaving.

The 28-year-old told CNA he was appreciative of making it to Malaysia before the date, claiming that the emigration procedure was “quick.”

” I could n’t come earlier because the flights were full, even though I already paid to come here”, he said. &nbsp,

He had recently worked in Malaysia for seven years, but after his contract expired and the COVID- 19 pandemic struck, he was forced to return to Bangladesh in 2020.

15 people, all wearing white cap, were waiting for him to speak to him as an interpreter. They were waiting for a bus to take them to Penang, where Mr. Habib may function in the textile sector for RM1, 500 per month.

He claimed that he has “many” companions in Bangladesh who have already applied for work permits in Malaysia but have not flown over.

” If they ca n’t come in, and they have already paid for it, will they get their money back”? he asked. ” I feel lucky ( about my situation ), thank God”.

Kaler Kontho, a news site in Bangladesh, reported on Friday that Bangladeshi recruitment agencies had urged the Indonesian authorities to extend the deadline for Bangladesh immigrants who had already been approved to work there.

More than 30 000 national employees from the country had been granted permission to work in Malaysia but were unable to make it by May 31 according to the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies ( BAIRA ). &nbsp,

” We have held several meetings with the ( relevant Bangladeshi ) ministry in this regard. We discussed extending the period by one or two weeks. Then all the employees could have been dispatched,” BAIRA was quoted as saying.

” Because if the workers ca n’t go, they will suffer financial losses”.

According to the organization, each employee is expected to pay several players in the hiring process up to RM20,000 last year.

Haznah Md Hashim, the High Commissioner of Malaysia to Bangladesh, claimed at a press conference in Dhaka on Wednesday that the Indonesian government had set the May 31 timeframe for safety reasons.

” It is an open secret that there are quite a number of illegal ( migrants ) in Malaysia. I am not referring only to Bangladesh but from all 15 cause places”, she said, adding that the government may deal with the matter “internally” after the deadline has passed.

When questioned about selection syndicates, Mdm Haznah claimed that the Indonesian government was making an effort to make sure that foreign workers ‘ selection is done in an ethical and transparent manner. &nbsp,

” ( But ) there are things … beyond the control of the two governments ( of Malaysia and Bangladesh )”, she stated.