Labour Ministry Expresses Reservations Over Malaysia’s New Recruitment Criteria

The Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security has expressed reservations over the 10-point criteria introduced by the Malaysian government for recruitment agencies from five labour-sending countries, including Nepal, saying the conditions are impossible to meet.

Ministry spokesperson Pitambar Ghimire told the state-run news agency RSS that the government has formally communicated Nepal’s concerns to Malaysia through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Nepal has conveyed that it cannot implement the newly prescribed standards for manpower companies and has sought a solution through diplomatic channels.

“We have notified Malaysia that we are unable to accept the criteria in their current form,” RSS quoted Ghimire as saying. “Manpower agencies in Nepal have also expressed strong reservations over the new requirements.”

According to RSS, Malaysia had recently informed the Nepali Embassy in Kuala Lumpur about the new guidelines. Following this, Malaysia’s Ministry of Human Resources requested manpower companies to submit required details by November 15, 2025. The criteria were issued for Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Myanmar.

Under the new rules, agencies must have held a valid licence for at least five years, sent at least 3,000 workers abroad in the past three years, and deployed workers to a minimum of three countries in the last five years, RSS further reported. They must also possess all necessary approvals for training, evaluation and recruitment, and maintain a clean record certified by the authorised agencies of their respective governments.

The criteria further require agencies to have no involvement in forced labour, human trafficking, labour law violations or extortion, operate from premises of at least 10,000 square feet, and submit recommendation letters from international employers.

Foreign employment agencies in Nepal have voiced strong reservations about the feasibility of meeting these conditions.

Malaysia remains one of the major labour destination countries for Nepali migrant workers, employing hundreds of thousands of Nepalis in sectors such as manufacturing, construction, and services.

Read: Recruiting Agencies Express Concern over Malaysia’s New Manpower Standards