The Nepal Foreign Employment Entrepreneurs Association and various fraternal organizations of manpower affiliated with political parties have decided to fight against the standards set by Malaysia.

The meeting of the association held on Friday decided to form a negotiation and coordination committee under the chairmanship of President Bhuwan Gurung and a struggle committee under the leadership of Second Vice President Kumar Khokali.

The negotiation committee includes First Vice President Sujit Kumar Shrestha, General Secretary Mahesh Kumar Basnet and two former presidents. Their names have not been finalized. ‘We have formed a negotiation committee to hold talks with all stakeholders related to the issue of Malaysia’s standards,’ said General Secretary Basnet.

The struggle committee also includes representatives of political parties and related organizations and the association’s secretary Kuncha Dorje Dimdung.

Malaysia had sent a letter to 5 countries, including Nepal, setting 10 criteria for ‘selecting an appropriate number of manpower companies to practice decent labor migration between the two countries.’ Source countries have been given a deadline of Kartik 27 to recommend manpower companies according to those criteria. The 10 criteria state that 'the manpower company should have been licensed to send workers for five years, should have sent at least 3,000 workers abroad in the past five years, should have sent workers to at least three countries in the past five years, should have obtained a license from the relevant body for training, assessment, recruitment and worker deployment.'

Similarly, a report on good conduct should have been obtained, forced labor, human trafficking, labor law violations, extortion, embezzlement and other economic crimes should not have been involved, the manpower company should have its own well-equipped training and assessment center, five employer companies should have given certificates on the good conduct of the concerned manpower company, should have an office with an area of ​​at least 10,000 square feet for the labor recruitment process and other work, and should provide necessary documents as proof of compliance with the standards sought by the destination country, including Malaysia.'

According to Bhuwan Gurung, president of the association, Malaysia's letter is intended to establish a syndicate in the source country and favor/encourage some limited people. ‘This seems to trample on fair and healthy competition, transparency and equal employment opportunities, the fundamental right to engage in business and create a monopoly market that is prohibited by the Constitution and laws of Nepal,’ said Chairman Gurung.

The issue of whether or not the standards set by Malaysia have been met has become a matter of revenge among manpower entrepreneurs. A rift of trust has begun to arise between small and large.

Deepak Thapa, Chairman of the Nepal Democratic Foreign Employment Entrepreneurs Association, said that there is a dual character among manpower entrepreneurs. ‘Some friends are investing in the monopoly of Malaysia employment and are lobbying intensely when there is no departmental minister. "Some people are staging a drama to show off those who are working day and night to impose the same monopoly, saying that the monopoly should be stopped," the statement issued by Chairman Thapa states, "Such duplicity should not be presented. "