DHAKA: Recently Malaysian government has become worried with the flooding illegal Bangladeshi workers into the country masquerading mostly as foreign students and sometimes as tourists.

In a recent investigative report over the issue, a national daily of Malaysia ‘The Star’ said that the Bangladeshis are entering into the country with the help of human trafficking syndicates aided by unscrupulous Malaysian institutes of higher learning and education centres.

The report also said these organizations help the workers with false attendance records and provide “progress reports” for the “students” to Malaysian Immigration when the visas need to be renewed.

The exclusive report of ‘The Star’ said that the syndicates prefer to bring in people under the guise of students because they are granted visas of between two and six months compared to only one month as a tourist.

Employment agencies and human trafficking syndicates charge from RM 10,000 to RM 12,000 to bring a Bangladeshi into the country.

The agencies even have lecturers from language colleges waiting at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport to produce the necessary documents to certify that the “student” is coming to Malaysia to study.

Once the worker leaves the airport, he is taken to a safe house somewhere in the Kelang Valley before being sent to a factory in Selangor, Johor or Perak.

There, depending on their skills, the “student” workers earn wages of RM 30 to RM 60 per day.

Deputy Home Minister Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said ministry officials are aware of these institutes and centres and they are looking into the matter.

Wan Junaidi also said: “I cannot name them but they are mostly in the Klang Valley… The ministry is also tightening the conditions for student visas, as well as for those issued to tourists.”

In response to a question, if this would include closing down the institute or centre, Wan Junaidi said that the matter would have to be first discussed with the Higher Education Ministry.

He said there would be problems for genuine students at these institutes if they were shut down.

Wan Junaidi said the ongoing crackdown on illegals by the police, Immigration and Rela is also producing positive results.

The Malaysian Association of Private Colleges and Universities (MAPCU) said tightening conditions for student and tourist visas is not the answer to curb the influx of foreign workers disguised as students.

MAPCU president Datuk Dr Parmjit Singh said, “This is not new and we have repeatedly implored for action to be taken against recalcitrant institutions.”

He also said: “It is disappointing to read once again that the Home Ministry is tightening conditions for student visas. Genuine universities and colleges and bona fide foreign students will become victims of this tightening.”

“Unscrupulous institutions have their permits renewed year after year despite the abuse while genuine institutions go through a trying process of getting their permits renewed, but genuine students are also subjected to inefficient and lengthy processes of applying and renewing their visas,” he added.

Dr Parmjit claimed that this had made Malaysia an undesirable place for higher education and its appeal among foreign students had waned.

There are some 2.6 million registered foreign workers in the country who hold a valid pass.

BDST: 1210 HRS, NOV 11, 2013
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