Malaysia has decided to end the services of agencies that manage Malaysian visa applications for workers from Bangladesh, as announced by the Minister of Home Affairs, Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
Foreign workers can now submit their applications through the Immigration Department’s MYVISA system, VisaGuide.World reports.
More specifically, applicants should use an active ID, along with a user manual that would be granted by the government, as reported by the Malaysian newspaper The Star.
Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismaili explained that employers are responsible for speeding up the entry process of foreign workers based on the approved quota related to the Labour Recalibration Programme 2.0.
At the Immigration Department, visa or eVisa applications can be processed in one to two days by the employers themselves.
He also encouraged employers to utilize the system in order to facilitate and speed up the visa application process.
Furthermore, the minister called on the non-governmental organization (NGO) Human Rights Watch (HRW) to provide evidence of any incidents of abuse and fatalities involving children and women at Immigration depots within the country.
He also expressed readiness to meet with NGO representatives to address this issue further.
This is to enable us to open the investigation papers as soon as possible. With complete information, I myself will not delay (to investigate) and we at the ministry take the matter seriously.
According to an HRW report, over 1,400 children were detained, with some of them being separated from their families or being alone, as further reported by The Star.
Malaysia Recorded Over 430,000 Bangladeshi Workers Last Year
Between 1976 and 2022, Malaysia recorded over 1.1 million Bangladeshi workers, as revealed in a study published by Taylor & Francis Group, referring to Bureau of Manpower and Employment and Training data.
Meanwhile, in 2023, the number of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia was 432,263, according to the Immigration Department of Malaysia (JIM).
Bangladeshis Can Travel Visa-Free to 22 Countries Worldwide
As of March 2024, the Bangladeshi Passports ranks 189th, according to the VisaGuide Passport Index.
This implies that citizens of Bangladesh can enjoy visa-free travel to only 22 countries and territories. On the other hand, they are required to obtain a visa to enter 151 different countries around the world.
Malaysia is among 151 countries where Bangladeshi citizens are required to obtain a visa in order to enter the country. However, those holding diplomatic or official passports are granted visas upon arrival for stays of up to 30 days.