Migration experts and outsourcing agencies have blamed weak diplomacy for lack of safety of Nepalis migrant workers abroad, despite their contribution to keep the economy afloat since last one decade in the form of remittance.

Failure to enforce labour centric economic diplomacy in major destinations like Malaysia has been creating problems in destination countries, they said while commenting on dispute between Malaysian and Nepali workers in Johor Bahru of Malaysia yesterday evening.

At least two Nepalis have been injured and nine were arrested in the incident, according to the Nepali embassy in Malaysia that has asked the Nepali migrant workers to remain calm.

“There are lots of misinformations coming from Malaysia,” said president of Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (NAFEA) Bal Bahadur Tamang. “It’s high time for the government to take labour centric economic diplomacy seriously as such incidents may turn into communal violence in the destination countries,” he said, adding that the misinformation may create law and order problem back in Nepal too.

Action taken from Nepali embassy in Malaysia is insufficient to address the problem, according to Tamang, who opined that the government should immediately deploy a high-level talk team to have dialogue with Malaysian government. “But the government seems insensitive towards the rights and safety of the Nepali migrant workers, who have been sending remittance to save the country from being a failed state.” The association is watching the development in Malaysia seriously.

“We have asked outsourcing agencies to maintain records of workers they send and maintain regular communication with them.” 

Malaysia is major foreign job destination to Nepali migrants since last one decade. The South East Asian country has been providing jobs to around half a million Nepalis in manufacturing, construction, agriculture, service and security sector. About 773,940 Nepalis had joined Malaysian jobs between the fiscal year 1998-99 and 2011-12.

According to Labour Force Survey 2008 Nepalis working in Malaysia have been sharing about 19.2 per cent in the total remittance inflow, which has been increasing with the increase in number of migrant workers landing in Malaysia. “Nepalis working in Malaysia that had sent Rs 69.03 billion last year is the second largest remittance sending country after Qatar,” according to an data.

Migration expert Dr Chiranjivi Nepal said that the government should have act immediately following the incident. “As Malaysia is the workplace for half a million Nepalis and second largest remittance sending country also, the government should have shown some seriousness,” he said, adding that the government should focus on labour centric diplomacy in the Gulf and Malaysia to support and protect Nepali migrant workers, who are keeping the economy afloat despite decade long conflict that has destroyed economic structures back home.

“As there are highest numbers of Nepali migrant workers, diplomatic missions in Gulf and Malaysia should have adequate staff and resources,” Nepal said, the staff also should have better knowledge in migrant workers related problem. “Unfortunately, we don’t have such mechanism.” 

There are many cases of diplomatic failure in migrant workers related cases that are key and sensitive too, he said, citing the example of Libya crisis that was resolved with the help of outsourcing agencies. About 1,800 Nepali migrants were rescued from Libya following protest against Dictator Muammar Kaddafi in March 2010.

Likewise, the government must sign and renew labour pact — a primary tool to protect workers in foreign land — on time with the host destination countries to protect Nepalis working there. Though, the government has started appointing labour attaché — after pressure from various quarters — in key host destination countries, they have not been able to be labour friendly and sensitive.

Published on: 23 March 2013 | The Himalayan Times