Bangladeshis in KL & PJ admitted to misusing their work permit and working as a boss by running a few businesses in the city, including phone and computer accessories shops, as well as restaurants.
To mislead authorities, Bangladeshi employers would hire local workers to give the impression that the businesses were Malaysian-owned.
One of the employers, Shah, acknowledged his mistake of misusing his work permit but said that he decided to do so because he has a family in Bangladesh to feed, and added that he has not harmed anyone in the process.
“I’m doing Halal (legitimate) jobs, I’m not robbing anyone, and many of my staff are Malaysians, too.”
To avoid getting caught, Shah will only be present at his shops when necessary. In usual circumstances, his work partners will sort out the matters for him.
Shah said that he has been in Malaysia since 2007, when he started selling laptops in KL before he ran a kiosk with a Malaysian friend in PJ a few years later. The monthly rent for the kiosk cost him RM6,000, and it took some time for the business to boom. When Shah managed to run more businesses, he started to employ more locals to help.
“I’ve been here for more than 15 years. Sometimes I return to my hometown for only a few months before coming back here. It’s hard to make a living there.”
“It’s much easier to hire Malaysians than foreigners. There are a lot of procedures to follow if I hire non-Malaysians.”
Another Bangladeshi businessman admitted to doing the same thing
Another foreign businessman, Raju, also from Bangladesh, said that he was originally just a salesman with a monthly salary of only RM900. His boss often deducted his salary without reason, which led Raju to resign and work elsewhere before running a small computer shop of his own with the money he saved up.
“I rent the shop through the name of a local friend, paid a certain fee to the other party every month, and hired four locals to manage the store business.”
Raju, however, admitted to being afraid of getting caught someday. Regardless, he chooses to embrace the fear for the sake of his family back at home.
“I need to earn money for my family back in Bangladesh. Even if I have to deal with the authorities, I don’t want to go back home.”
“There’s nothing for me to do there. If life in Malaysia is tough, it’s even tougher in Bangladesh,” Raju expressed, reported Harian Metro.
What do you think of this situation?
Also read: Bangladeshi Man Makes RM55K in KL a Month After Marrying M’sian Woman, But Employs Illegal Workers
