Manpower firms say they may stop sending workers to Malaysia

KATHMANDU, June 10:

Manpower firms have warned that they may stop sending workers to Malaysia if the biometric medical test requirement for the aspiring workers was imposed unilaterally.

They have claimed that such requirement would only add hefty financial burden on the aspiring workers.

Organizing a press meet on Tuesday, Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (NAFEA) demanded the government not to implement such system.

“The system, if implemented, will not only add financial burden on Nepali workers. Large amount of money will go out of the country,” Kumud Khanal, vice president of NAFEA, said.
According to NAFEA, a Malaysia bound worker should have to pay an additional Rs 1,500 for biometric health test.

“Even if workers undergo biometric medical test here, they will have to undergo another medical test after reaching Malasia. The test at a medical company named Fomea costs 180 Malaysia Ringgit (Rs 5,300). This system should be cancelled,” added Khanal.

Apart from this, medical centers will have to pay US$ 16 per worker to Malaysian IT firm Bestinet Sdn Bhd. Similarly, the medical firms of Nepal, which are eligible to conduct biometric tests, will have to buy various equipments including computer, web cameras, biometric scanner and software worth millions of rupees to carry the medical test according to the new system.

If approved by the Ministry of Labor and Employment (MoLE) and MoFA, the biometric health test requirement for Malaysia-bound workers will come into effect from June 15.

Source: Republica