Nepali Workers Pay Up to RM10,000 for Malaysian Security Jobs, Risking Modern Slavery

Nepali migrant workers are paying up to RM10,000 to secure security guard jobs in Malaysia, a sharp rise that migrant rights activist Andy Hall warns risks creating “modern slaves.” These upfront costs, covering agent fees, flights, medical tests, visas, and insurance, are paid in Nepal, despite a 2018 Malaysia-Nepal MoU stipulating that employers should bear recruitment costs.

Nepali Workers

Hall alleges Malaysian security agents receive illicit payments from Nepali agents, inflating fees. Previously, workers paid RM3,800–RM5,000, but now face RM8,000–RM10,000, fueling debt bondage. Nepali guards endure overwork, underpayment, document confiscation, and poor housing, with Malaysia showing little interest in renewing the MoU.

Hall urges action from both governments and the international community. “Urgent attention needs to be placed on the increasingly abusive and extortionate recruitment of these vulnerable individuals, and the awful conditions in which they work and live,” Hall told FMT.

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