खोज

By Anil Adhikari

April 23, 2025 | Tuesday | Kathmandu – Amid ongoing concerns about syndicates in Malaysia-bound foreign employment, reports have surfaced suggesting that a similar scheme to the infamous medical syndicate is now being attempted in the recruitment sector as well. According to sources, a plan is underway to allow only 25 selected manpower agencies to send workers to Malaysia under a syndicate system. If successful, this model could mirror the widespread irregularities seen in Bangladesh’s labor market.

Under the syndicate’s plan, manpower companies in Nepal would be required to pay a commission of 4,000 Malaysian Ringgit per worker for securing Malaysian job demands—an amount only slightly lower than current informal industry standards.

Citing the powerful influence of syndicates in Nepal, particularly in the medical examination sector, insiders warn that syndicate operators often become more powerful than the government itself. In Bangladesh, journalists have reported that labor syndicates have wielded influence beyond that of government institutions. Should a similar system take hold in Nepal, it could severely impact the country’s economy by reducing remittance inflows.

Reports claim that a massive deal worth nearly NPR 2.5 billion has been orchestrated to monopolize the Malaysian labor demand process. Syndicate operators have allegedly approached various Nepali manpower businesses to participate in the deal, some of whom have already engaged in secret negotiations.

Sources say that the attempt is being driven by actors involved in Nepal’s medical syndicate, working in coordination with a notorious Bangladeshi syndicate leader named Amin, who has long dominated Malaysia’s foreign worker recruitment systems. These players are reportedly working to ensure that only a fixed number of manpower agencies receive job demands, using tactics including bribery and lobbying in both Nepal and Malaysia.

Currently, only 36 pre-approved medical centers in Nepal are allowed to conduct medical exams for Malaysia-bound workers. If the proposed employment syndicate follows the same pattern, only select manpower companies would be permitted to send workers abroad.

Sources also claim that some manpower companies are scrambling to be included in the syndicate list, while others have been asked to contribute NPR 100 million each to join the inner circle. Those unable to raise the full amount are being advised to partner with other manpower companies and act as sub-agents, taking a cut from the demand allocation.

Each of the 25 chosen companies could potentially appoint up to 10 sub-agent companies. The syndicate would allow these sub-agents to operate under the main license-holders, further entrenching the monopoly.

Information from ongoing discussions suggests that high-level officials in Nepal’s Ministry of Labor and Ministry of Foreign Affairs may already be complicit in the plan. The Malaysian side reportedly plans to use the same strategies that enabled the syndicate in Bangladesh, including bribery of public officials and control of demand through a centralized system.

Syndicate Proposes Commission of 4,000 Ringgit per Worker

If the syndicate succeeds, each manpower agency would need to pay a commission of 4,000 Ringgit per worker when securing demand letters. Half of this would go to the agent who secures the demand, while the other half would go to the syndicate leaders. Despite this being close to current commission levels, the syndicate model would formalize and centralize corruption on a massive scale.

Workers would still be responsible for paying for their own tickets, agent commissions, medical exams, and labor approvals—potentially amounting to NPR 300,000 per worker. This undermines the recent progress in ethical recruitment practices, where a small portion of workers had started going abroad without paying large fees.

If demand letters are funneled exclusively through syndicate-approved manpower companies, even ethical demand allocations would be corrupted, discouraging foreign employers from working with Nepali agencies due to lack of transparency and rising costs.

Who Is Behind the Syndicate in Nepal?

Before talk of a Nepal syndicate surfaced, Bangladesh had already implemented one—allowing only selected agencies to send workers to Malaysia. A study found that Bangladeshi workers were charged up to $5,000 due to the syndicate’s grip.

Protests were held in Dhaka on Monday against the syndicate. The central figure behind Bangladesh’s syndicate is Aminul Islam Bin Abdul Nor, a Bangladeshi national based in Malaysia. He controls key labor management systems like FWCMS and MiGRAMS and is accused of monopolizing recruitment through corrupt deals with powerful manpower agents and political figures.

Amin has also reportedly cultivated strong ties with certain Nepali agents and medical institutions. According to sources, this collaboration is at the root of attempts to introduce a similar system in Nepal.

Federation Issues Warning Against Syndicate

President of the Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (NAFEA), Bhuwan Singh Gurung, has warned of serious consequences for anyone involved in the syndicate.

“Those dreaming of establishing a syndicate in Nepal should stop now,” Gurung said. “If any manpower company is found to be collaborating, and evidence such as photos of meetings emerges, we will revoke their NAFEA membership within 24 hours.”

He further cautioned that physical confrontations or attacks could arise if businesses feel threatened, urging all agencies not to fall under syndicate influence. “This kind of business cannot be done in Nepal,” he said.

Despite rising commissions—up to 10,000 Ringgit per demand—and rampant hundi transactions, the government has remained silent. This silence has been interpreted as implicit support by some, further emboldening syndicate players.

As the Malaysian market becomes increasingly unaffordable for Nepali manpower agencies, syndicate leaders hope to exploit the situation by introducing demand lotteries and exclusive access to job orders—while enriching themselves and compromising the rights of migrant workers.