JOHOR BARU: Exploited Bangladeshi who have been duped by recruitment agencies are hesitant to come forward, allegedly because they were treated like criminals, instead of receiving assistance.
Two Bangladeshi working in Johor Baru told the New Straits Times about their plight, which is shared by many of their countrymen, who have been duped out of promising job prospects in Malaysia by recruitment firms.
Saiful Nassob, 36, who is currently legally documented and operating a tuck-shop in the state's capital city, said he too experienced being cheated by a recruitment agency representative.
Saiful, who has lived in the state for the past six years, said that while Bangladesh was much smaller than Malaysia, its population boasted 169.4 million people.
"This makes job opportunities scarce, prompting most able-bodied youngsters to seek job opportunities overseas," he said.
Speaking fluent English and Bahasa Malaysia, Saiful has a degree in engineering from a university in Bangladesh, but it is not recognised in many Asian countries including Malaysia.
He claimed he had paid RM30,000 to a recruitment agency in 2017, to secure a job so that he could support his family back home and build a better future.
Upon arriving at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang, together with about 60 fellow countrymen were made to squat on the airport floor for almost eight hours before they underwent multiple checks and clearance by several government agencies.
And since they were neither given food nor drinks, they had to use their own money to buy them.
He said there were two Malaysian representatives from the recruitment agency accompanying them.
Saiful said prior to their departure, the Bangladeshi recruitment agency representative met them at the Dhaka Airport (Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport).
All transactions and instructions were conversed in Bengali, the country's official language.
However, upon their arrival at KLIA, there were no Bengali or Urdu speaking representatives.
"We were clueless, confused, hungry and in fear, when we were given instructions from the two Malaysians claiming to be from the agency.
"Finally, after more than eight hours, we were divided into two groups and asked to board two buses and were given a pack of rice and a bottle of water, which had to be consumed on the bus," he said.
The foreigners were given a three-month social visit pass, and had to secure jobs within the period, and update their pass with work-permits.
Saiful claimed he and 29 of his batch mates were provided accommodation in an open air workshop with a zinc roof, fitted with three squatting toilet bowls, and a tank filled with water for baths.
"There were no walls except for the toilet bowl area, although we were promised jobs at air conditioned factories assembly-lines with uniforms, hostels and medical benefits," he said.
"Most of us didn't share our situation with our family members to spare them from being worried," he added.
When the agency representative visited them every two weeks within the first three months, he said they were given numerous excuses about their job status.
They were given a gas-cylinder tank, stove, rice, cooking oil, eggs and other produce and told us to cook to fend for ourselves.
He said they were told to seek work around the vicinity, but if they were caught by immigration officers, they could be deported and the agency would not be responsible.
"After months of waiting and with whatever money we had, most of us split ways, and I proceeded to Johor Baru, where a relative assisted me in securing a job with legal documents... Not everyone is as fortunate," he said.
Meanwhile, Jannah, 24, said there were thousands of Bangladeshi and other foreigners who had been cheated by recruitment agencies.
"There are people who approached us claiming they can help, but we are required to pay a fee.