This comes after about 1,300 recruitment agencies from Bangladesh had threatened to hold a protest if the joint committee stuck to its decision to allow only 25 agencies to supply workers as requested by Malaysia.

Calling themselves the “anti-syndicate movement”, they claimed that keeping to only the 25 agencies would see workers spending about RM18,000 to be sent to Malaysia to work, more than double what should be required.

While the number of protesters did not look huge, they went ahead with the demonstration in front of Bangladesh’s expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment ministry with various banners in hand.

In welcoming Saravanan, one of the bigger banners read: “We wish you a successful meeting with our minister to open the Malaysia job market for all valid Bangladeshi recruiting agencies, like the other 13 source countries.”

Other banners said, “No 25 syndicate”, in reference to the 25 agencies allowed to supply workers.

Shameem Ahmed Chowdhury Noman, former secretary-general of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies, questioned whether Malaysia’s Cabinet had approved having only 25 agencies to send workers.

He said their hope now hung on the Bangladesh government to reject this “unethical” decision.

“If this was not accepted by any other (migrant worker) source country, then why is he (Saravanan) trying to impose it on Bangladesh? It’s very unfortunate for us,” he told FMT.

Malaysia and Bangladesh signed a memorandum of understanding on the intake of migrant workers on Dec 19 in Kuala Lumpur, although details were kept under wraps.

Saravanan recently said the decision on the number of recruiting agencies involved in sending Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia rested with Putrajaya.