Nepal and Malaysia pledge to scrap middlemen in labour migration
Prime Minister Balendra Shah and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim discussed ending syndicates that exploit Nepali workers in Malaysia and agreed to direct talks between their labour ministries.
Prime Minister Balendra Shah contacted Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to press for reforms that would eliminate syndicates and middlemen in the recruitment of Nepali workers to Malaysia. Shah described one outlet system as exploitative and called for direct engagement between the two countries’ labour ministers to find a lasting solution. Ibrahim expressed agreement, promising to order Malaysia’s labour minister to initiate discussions with Nepal’s labour minister.
The leaders emphasized the need for a more dignified and transparent foreign-employment framework. Nepal currently sends roughly 400,000 workers to Malaysia, which hosts between 2.1 million and 2.4 million documented migrant workers overall. Both sides see the removal of intermediaries as essential to protect workers and improve bilateral labour relations.
Why it matters
The talks could improve conditions for hundreds of thousands of Nepali migrants and set a precedent for fairer labour recruitment in the region.
How this story developed
- Sep 1 Scientists Spot Early Glacier Warning Signs Before Nepal Flood Disaster
- Sep 2 A scientific review released new findings on pre‑event signals in the glacier collapse.
- Sep 14 UN assistant secretary‑general Kanni Wignaraja warned of expanding flood risk across the Himalayas.
- Sep 17 A new UN Environment Programme review labeled glacier melt an “immediate” climate risk.
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