Nepal, Malaysia sign deal to resume supply of Nepali migrant workers to Malaysia

Kathmandu / Sept 12: Nepal and Malaysia on Thursday agreed to resume the stalled process of labor supply from Nepal to Malaysia.

Authorities from the two governments signed a 10-point deal to this effect after the conclusion of a two-day meeting of the Joint Working Group (JWG) held in Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital.

Malaysia was one of the preferred labor destinations for Nepali migrant workers until Nepal Government imposed a ban on its citizens going to Malaysia for jobs fifteen months ago.

The government imposed the ban after its findings that Malaysia-bound workers were forced to pay additional money illegally for a private Malaysian company established in Kathmandu.

According to joint-secretary at Ministry for Labour, Employment and Social Security Ram Prasad Ghimire, who led the Nepali delegation to Malaysia, informed that the Malaysian government is now ready to address the issue of medical test, which was one of the contesting issues between the two sides.

“We have agreed to resume medical tests through existing 36 health institutions. Of 122 listed institutions, remaining 86 will be soon approved,” Ghimire said.

Ghimire also informed that the labor pact signed between the two countries last year would be soon implemented.

Based on ToR, Department of Foreign Employment and Nepali Embassy in Malaysia will expedite verification of workers’ demand and labor permit.

Meanwhile, PM KP Oli’s Foreign Relations Advisor Rajan Bhattarai expressed happiness over the latest deal reached between Nepal and Malaysia. “Its a matter of happiness for us that the stalled process of labor supply to Malaysia is going to resume from coming Sunday,” he tweeted.