KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 7 – For some Nepali citizens, going to work in Malaysia meant a chance at a decent life.
But the harsh reality of working in Malaysia is a far cry from what was “promised”.
Inadequate wages, dangerous working conditions and cramped dormitories are among the many challenges faced by Nepali migrant workers here.
Nepali migrant workers in Malaysia will contribute 23 per cent of Nepal’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 2022, according to Migration for Development and Equality (MIDEQ).
The Nepalese government requires Malaysian companies to be vetted to ensure they meet certain standards for the safety and protection of Nepalese workers before they can be linked to recruitment agencies in Nepal.
Anita Ghimire, co-investigator for MIDEQ, said brokers in Malaysia could also be linked to these recruitment agencies.
She said that when the sources in Malaysia indicate a need for labour, the recruitment agencies advertise it in newspapers and informal agents approach villagers about the advertised job opportunities and submit applications to the recruitment agencies on behalf of the prospective migrants.
The recruitment agencies will then handle the paperwork and coordinate with the Nepalese government to obtain work permits for the prospective workers.
MIDEQ co-director Katharine Jones said it was important to look at the issues from both the sending and receiving sides to identify why migrant workers become undocumented.
There are a number of reasons why Nepali migrant workers fall into the ‘informal route’.
“Sometimes the brokers take different routes, sometimes the paperwork isn’t done properly, either in Nepal or in Malaysia,” Jones said.
“It is in the recruitment agencies’ business interest to send as many as possible through the informal route because through the legal route, the Nepalese government mandates that recruitment agencies are liable for any problems that may arise for the migrant worker,” Ghimire added.
Another reason, she said, was that these migrant workers were recruited by an outsourcing company in Malaysia rather than by a company that needed their services directly – even though the migrants went through the process legally as individuals.
The outsourcing companies then send them to work informally for other companies.
Ghimire said it is important to note that there is no way for workers to know they have been recruited by an outsourcing company until they arrive.
“Only workers who have been in Malaysia for a few years can use their networks to find out if it’s an outsourcing company or not,” she added.
Jones said that on arrival in Malaysia, migrant workers are sometimes denied the right to a copy of their contract.
Ghimire explained that what is worse is that if there is any ambiguity or misinformation, the company will make them sign a different contract from the one the recruiter gave them and they have no choice but to accept it since they are already here.
According to a report by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) titled “Assessment of Causes and Contributing Factors to Migrant Workers Becoming Undocumented in Malaysia”, migrant workers often leave their employers for various reasons, including abuse, etc. Their work permits are tied to the employer’s contract.
Their work permits are tied to their employers, so if they decide to change employers, their work permits are invalidated, and they become undocumented.
MIDEQ is an organisation that aims to translate knowledge and ideas into policies and practices that can improve the lives of migrants, their families and communities.
The MIDEQ Nepal-Malaysia research focused on migration issues related to gender inequalities, migrants’ perceptions, knowledge and decision-making, and facilitation by intermediaries.
It was conducted in 2020 and 2021 through interviews with 98 respondents.
The IOM report was conducted to explore how documented migrant workers become undocumented during employment in Malaysia, with a specific focus on the manufacturing sector and migrant workers from Bangladesh, Indonesia and Nepal, with 40 respondents. The report was released in August this year.
