Bangladeshi nationals make up the largest group of foreign workers in Malaysia, with 803,332 holding valid Temporary Employment Visit Passes (PLKS) as of June 30, according to the Immigration Department of Malaysia.
Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail confirmed in a written parliamentary reply that Bangladeshi workers account for 37 percent of all foreign labour in the country, making Bangladesh the top source of low-skilled migrant workers.
He added that enforcement data showed 790 Bangladeshi nationals were arrested in 2022 and 2023 for overstaying their permits.
The reply was in response to Hassan Abdul Karim (PH–Pasir Gudang), who requested data on Bangladeshi workers entering Malaysia in 2022 and 2023, including valid permit holders, undocumented migrants, and returnees.
In 2022, 49,353 Bangladeshi workers entered Malaysia, coinciding with the reopening of borders after the COVID-19 pandemic.
To support economic recovery, Saifuddin said the government introduced the Relaxation Plan for the Employment of Foreign Workers in 2023, which simplified recruitment. Under this plan, 397,548 new Bangladeshi workers were recorded entering the country that year.
Additionally, 20,331 Bangladeshi PLKS holders were repatriated by employers in 2022, followed by 23,065 in 2023.
