Thousands of Nepalese nationals working for private
securitycompanies in Malaysia have returned to their homes during the Covid-19
pandemic,leaving private security companies in dire need of security guards that
are notavailable. According to an owner of a security company, many of our
securityprojects have been shut down due to the return of Nepali nationals
because manycompanies want to hire Nepalese security guards. Now the people
running private securitycompanies are asking Indian and Pakistani citizens to
hide their nationalities and show themselves as Nepalese to make them
acceptable. Such companies are waiting for the Malaysian government to relax
travel restrictions so that they can visit Nepal to hire the services ofnew
guards. The Malaysian government has a long-standing agreement with Nepal to
hire security guards, which prevents citizens of any country other thanlocal
Malaysians and Nepalese from working as security guards. Security company owners
say the Nepalesegovernment is currently providing security guards to Singapore,
Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, and Kuwait. While Nepal's own population is not as
large as required, the government show normal citizens as retired soldiers to
enable them to work as a security guard. The security companies wanted the
Malaysian government toenter into an agreement with Pakistan to hire retired
army personnel assecurity guards to fill the vacancies available in Malaysia.
Because theretired personnel of the Pakistan Army have one of the best training
andcurrently, many retired soldiers from Pakistan are also working in Europe,
theUK and the United States, including the Gulf countries. In the past, the
Malaysian government did not agree to hirePakistani guards, even though Pakistan
was willing to give its retiredcommandos to Malaysia as security guards. There
have also been complaints fromsome security companies in Malaysia that their
security guards are not beingpaid, but the majority of the security guards
cannot get remedy under the system due to want of a work permit allowing
employers to take undue advantage.Employers deprive them of their salaries while
they have toserve for twelve hours a day and they don’t get weekly off which is
a violationof labour laws.In many countries, security guards do not work for
more thaneight hours but a majority of foreign migrants currently living in
Malaysia areforced to work illegally in private security providing companies,
restaurants, hotels, construction, factories and other public places due to the
Malaysian government's ban on work visas. It is hoped that oncethe issuance of
visas begins, they will somehow get a work permit and continue working in better
conditions. Most foreigners caught by immigration officials’ work using fake
visa stickers.Delays in issuing work visas by the government has become a major
threat to the Malaysian economy as it is hampering many developmental projects.
If this were to happen due to the fear of the Covid-19, an economic crisis could
ensue whichis very difficult to control. The Malaysian government has the best
chance to open its airports following the suit of Dubai, Qatar, the UK and Saudi
Arabia underSOPs to avoid an economic crisis and to see Malaysia re-emerge as
before.