Malaysia is ready to sign Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Nepal on labour migration management.

During a meeting with state minister for Labor and Employment Tek Bahadur Gurung at his office today, Malaysian home minister Dr Ahmed Zahid Hamidi said that he would initiate the process for signing Memorandum of Understanding with Nepal on labour migration management.

He also committed to send an invitation to his Nepali counterpart to sign the agreement in Kuala Lumpur after completing necessary preparation.

Nepal had first sent the draft to Malaysia about a year ago. But the Malaysian government had not shown any response.
Director general of Department of Foreign Employment Krishna Hari Puskar informed that the department has revised the draft according to international standards and related law of both the countries. “And the visiting Malaysian minister’s response has encouraged us,” he said, adding that the government will now forward the draft to Labour Ministry of Malaysia through diplomatic channel.

During the meeting minister Gurung also showed serious concern on problems being faced by Nepali workers in Malaysia, frequent changes in visa fee, and levies imposed by the Malaysian government on migrant workers. He also expressed worries over increasing deaths of Nepali workers in Malaysia.

However, after signing the proposed memorandum of understanding, Nepali migrant workers can seek legal remedies in case of exploitation.

There are over 500,000 Nepali workers in Malaysia.

Responding Gurung, Hamidi said he would take necessary initiatives to repatriate Nepali workers languishing in Malaysian jails. He also promised to recruit additional 200,000 Nepali workers within a year.

Malaysian authorities have arrested more than 500 Nepali migrant workers – who were staying illegally in Malaysia – last December.

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