The National Human Rights Commission, Nepal (NHRC) and Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) have reinforced their bilateral relations through the renewal of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Rights of Migrant Workers and People Residing in Both Countries for a period of three years from 2026 to 2028.
According to a joint statement of NHRCN and SUHAKAM, the MoU was signed by NHRCN’s Chairperson Top Bahadur Magar and SUHAKAM’s Chairman, Dato’ Seri Mohd Hishamudin Yunus, at the SUHAKAM Headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The MoU was first signed in 2019 with the aim of fostering close cooperation, information sharing, two-way communication regarding complaints, joint monitoring, research, and other related activities to protect the rights of migrant workers and people residing in both countries. The MoU was then renewed twice, extending to 28 March 2024. Throughout the duration of the MoU, SUHAKAM engaged with the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and civil society organisations (CSOs) working on the issues of Nepali migrant workers, and the Embassy of Nepal in Kuala Lumpur to exchange information regarding Nepali migrant workers in Malaysia.
SUHAKAM also carried out its core work in investigating any human rights violation cases faced by migrant workers, including the deaths of Nepali migrant workers, the statement reads.
“To date, there are approximately 400,000 Nepali workers in Malaysia. From 2021 until August 2026, SUHAKAM has received a total of 46 complaints involving Nepali workers,” the statement stated.
The complaints received regarding alleged human rights violations include passports withheld by employers, working twelve hours a day and 30 consecutive days without rest days, unpaid or delayed wages, excessive working hours without overtime pay, unsafe working conditions and inadequate protection, the statement added.
The renewal of the MoU underscores the commitment of both NHRCN and SUHAKAM to strengthen bilateral cooperation by focusing on investigating any human rights violation cases faced by migrant workers, monitoring the condition of the detention centres and infringement of human rights of migrant workers, addressing high fatality rates, conducting policy advocacy on recruitment fees and forced labour risks, and engaging with Social Security Organisation of Malaysia to enhance access to social security schemes for Nepali workers in Malaysia.
The cooperation will also include advocacy on gender equality through joing actions by both Commission, with particular attention to the rights of women migrant workers in precarious and information employment, reviewing policies from a human rights perspective and making recommendations to both governments to improve migrant workers, access to justice, conducting capcity-building activities for the Nepali migrant security sector and pursuing other mututally agreed areas of collaboration.
Alongside the MoU Signing Ceremony, the NHRCN will conduct a working visit comprising meetings and consultations with various key stakeholders. The NHRCN met with the Embassy of Nepal in Kuala Lumpur, and the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) Malaysia to gather information on the current status and context of Nepalese workers in Malaysia.
Both Commissions encourage Nepali migrant workers in Malaysia who have experienced or witnessed possible human rights violations to lodge a complaint with SUHAKAM by scanning this QR code. The complaint submitted will be handled in accordance with SUHAKAM’s complaint-handling and confidentiality procedures, the statement reads.
