Migrant workers in Malaysia should not bear recruitment fees and related costs when seeking overseas jobs, ILO says

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has reiterated that migrant workers should not be made to bear recruitment fees and related costs when seeking overseas employment, as concerns continue to grow over labour migration practices involving Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia.

In a detailed statement, the ILO said the principle of “employer pays” remains central to fair and ethical recruitment, especially for vulnerable migrant workers. 

The organisation pointed to its globally recognised definition of recruitment fees and related costs, adopted in 2018 and approved by the ILO Governing Body in 2019, as the international benchmark guiding labour migration standards worldwide.

According to the ILO, recruitment fees include any charges incurred during the recruitment process for workers to secure employment, regardless of where or when those costs are imposed. The framework has since shaped national laws, industry codes, and labour audit systems across multiple countries and sectors.

The statement comes amid renewed scrutiny of Malaysia’s labour migration system following reports that surfaced in 2023 involving Bangladeshi workers arriving in Malaysia with valid work permits, only to discover that the jobs promised to them did not exist.

The ILO noted that Malaysia had taken a significant step in 2021 through a memorandum of understanding signed with Bangladesh to regulate the recruitment, employment, and repatriation of Bangladeshi migrant workers. Under the agreement, employers were expected to bear costs incurred in Malaysia, including airfare expenses.

However, the emergence of alleged job scams and irregular recruitment practices later prompted international concern. In May 2024, the ILO, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) jointly expressed concern over the plight of affected workers and offered support to Malaysia in reviewing its labour migration governance framework.

The latest ILO statement also addressed claims linked to Bestinet Sdn. Bhd and its Foreign Workers Centralized Management System (FWCMS), following references made in a press statement by law firm Lui and Bhullar dated April 23, 2026.

Clarifying the matter, the ILO said the FWCMS platform is not “UN recognised,” despite receiving a World Summit Award (WSA). The organisation explained that while the WSA was established within the context of the UN World Summit on the Information Society and aligns with Sustainable Development Goals, it is not an official United Nations award.

The ILO further clarified that comments it provided in 2013 regarding the initial Bestinet proposal should not be interpreted as an endorsement of the company or its later implementation.

“At the proposal stage, the ILO found the concept to be innovative and comprehensive,” the statement noted, adding that the organisation had explicitly stated at the time that it did not know the credentials or competence of Bestinet to carry out the proposed system.

The agency stressed that its earlier observations related only to the proposal presented in 2013 and should not be construed as approval of any subsequent operational system.

Reaffirming its commitment to labour rights, the ILO said it remains ready to support Malaysia and Bangladesh through tripartite consultations aimed at improving labour migration governance, strengthening transparency, and ensuring demand-driven and fair recruitment systems aligned with international labour standards.