Foreign employment association opposes monopoly by some manpower firms over Malaysia jobs

The Nepal Foreign Employment Association has said Malaysia's labor market should be opened immediately. However, the association said a monopoly by some manpower companies is not acceptable.

The association held a press conference in Kathmandu on Monday. It has objected to Malaysia's Foreign Workers Centralized Management System, or FWCMS, listing only a limited number of Nepali companies. Under the system, 25 companies are listed as main companies and 250 as subsidiaries. Malaysia has mandated that workers be recruited only through listed companies.

According to the association, there are about 1,200 licensed businesses in the country.

Association president Dikbahadur Khatri 'Kumar' said Nepal wants Malaysia but does not want a syndicate. He said the association wants an open labor market but not a monopoly. He said the dispute would be resolved if all eligible companies were included equally in the system.

The association has made clear that it is not in favor of stopping employment in Malaysia. It has warned that if authority is concentrated in a few institutions, competition will decline and the cost of sending workers will rise. It has also warned of weaker transparency and a greater risk of informal money collection.

The Department of Foreign Employment has sought clarification from the 250 listed institutions on the basis and process of selection.