Malaysia government eases crackdown on migrant workers

Since May 2018, the Malaysia government had imposed a closure on incoming Nepali workers, owing to a crackdown on illegal collection of fees by certain agencies.

The ban has just lifted, wherein the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security has decided to issue labour-permits to those Nepali workers who had initiated visa processing before the crackdown, as reported in The Kathmandu Post.

Kathmandu Foreign Employment Office (FEO) chief Bhabishwor Pandey has been reported The Kathmandu Post as saying: "The ministry has decided to give them work-permit for Malaysia as they have already received their calling visa. The work-permit will be issued after checking the receipt of fees they have paid during visa processing phase."

Workers who did their visa processing work up to May 16 can apply to the FEO to obtain the final work permit.

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According to Labour Ministry published estimates in The Kathmandu Post, there were at least 453 Nepali workers with Malaysia visa stamped on their passports before the government action and yet could not go. Nearly 300 of them came to receive the final labour-permit, said Pandey.

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