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The country imposed the ban in December 2016 after Malaysia’s criticism of the military crackdown on the Buddhist country’s Rohingya minority.
The problems intensified when Myanmar workers living in Malaysia became victims of attacks by people believed to be avenging the Myanmar government’s actions in Rakhine.
According to the Myanmar Times, Myanmar’s Labour, Migration and Immigration Union Minister U Thein Swe said: “We will be sending workers again when we scrutinise the employment request letters according to the procedures of law.
“We hope we can start sending workers next month.”
He added that the lifting of the ban may help reduce the number of illegal workers from Myanmar who go to Malaysia as many agencies send workers to Malaysia using tourist visas instead of proper documentation.
The latest data from Myanmar’s labour, migration and immigration ministry showed there are between 400,000 and 500,000 Myanmar workers in Malaysia, but only 200,000 are legally employed.
According to U Kyaw Htin Kyaw, who owns a labour agency that sends workers to Malaysia, many Malaysian employment agencies and employers would be pleased to hear about the lifting of the ban.
After the ban was imposed, Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Hamzah Zainudin was quoted as saying that the ban would not have an impact on the country’s manufacturing sector as Myanmar was not a major source of foreign labour for Malaysia.
“Malaysia’s main source of labour comes from Bangladesh, Indonesia and Cambodia,” he said.
Myanmar bans workers going to M’sia as Rohingya crisis grows
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