Nepal asks Malaysia to remove 25 firms from recruitment system

Authorities in Kathmandu have officially requested Malaysia to remove 25 local employment companies registered under the Foreign Worker Centralized Management System. This development follows a dispute regarding Malaysia's decision to divide recruitment responsibilities into a group of 25 principal agencies alongside 250 supporting entities for handling worker deployment. According to the Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies, the involved companies sought withdrawal because they rejected a framework that restricted direct connections with Malaysian employers to a select group. In response to these developments, the Department of Foreign Employment requested detailed financial transactions, selection criteria, historical involvement, and inclusion processes from the agencies. Labour Minister Ramji Yadav previously discussed the matter with the Malaysian Human Resources counterpart, advocating for equal opportunities for all licensed recruitment entities in the country. Ministry spokesperson Mira Acharya noted that formal lists of companies requesting withdrawal were transmitted through diplomatic channels while high-level talks proceed.