KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia has called on Bangladesh to consider reducing the cost of hiring its workers as part of efforts to safeguard their welfare.

In a Facebook post on April 9, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the proposal was raised during discussions with Bangladeshi officials in Putrajaya.

“I emphasise the need to reduce the cost of hiring foreign workers and have requested the government of Bangladesh to consider such measures for the well-being of the workers,” he said, as cited from Bernama.

Anwar made the remarks after receiving a courtesy call from Ariful Haque Choudhury, Bangladesh’s Minister of Labour and Employment.

Also present at the meeting was Dr Mahdi Amin, adviser to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

The discussions focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation and addressing issues of mutual interest between both countries.

Anwar reaffirmed Malaysia’s commitment to protecting the welfare of Bangladeshi workers, particularly those employed in the construction and manufacturing sectors.

He noted that hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshi nationals continue to contribute to the country’s workforce.

During the meeting, Anwar also extended his congratulations to Tarique Rahman on his appointment as Prime Minister of Bangladesh on February 17.

Tarique, 60, is chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia and former president Ziaur Rahman.

“I once again extend an invitation for him to visit Malaysia in the near future to further strengthen the already close bilateral relations,” said Anwar.

The prime minister expressed confidence that Malaysia-Bangladesh ties would continue to grow based on mutual trust and shared benefits.