Malaysia’s Wistron Technology to recruit 800 Nepali workers at zero cost

KATHMANDU: Malaysia-based Wistron Technology Sdn Bhd has announced plans to recruit 800 Nepali workers this year under a zero-cost recruitment model, reinforcing ethical and fair hiring practices in foreign employment.

The multinational manufacturing company said it will bring Nepali workers to Malaysia without charging any recruitment-related fees, continuing a model it first implemented in 2022, when it became the first company to formally declare zero-cost recruitment from Nepal.

The initiative is aligned with international labor standards and aims to ensure safe, dignified, and debt-free employment for Nepali migrant workers.

Explaining in the Press meet on Wednesday in Kathmandu, under the latest recruitment plan, Wistron Technology will hire 600 female and 200 male workers through two licensed Nepali recruitment agencies—Aakarshan International and Lal Dhanush International Services Pvt Ltd. The recruitment process for this year has already moved forward through these agencies.

The company said zero-cost recruitment is not merely a policy decision but a reflection of responsible business conduct. “Zero-cost recruitment represents human values and ethical business practice. Providing Nepali workers with safe, dignified, and debt-free employment remains our long-term commitment,” the company stated.

Wistron Technology had publicly committed in 2022 to adopting a zero-cost and ethical recruitment system in accordance with international labor norms, ensuring that Nepali workers are employed abroad without being burdened by loans or exploitative fees—an issue that has long plagued Nepal’s foreign employment sector.

Malaysia has been sourcing migrant workers from South Asian countries, including Nepal, to address persistent labor shortages across manufacturing, construction, services, agriculture, and other sectors.

Nepali workers have increasingly entered the Malaysian labor market through formal and regulated channels following the bilateral labor agreement signed between Nepal and Malaysia on October 29, 2018.

Since the signing of the agreement, Nepali workers have been deployed to Malaysia in a more structured and legal manner, with provisions aimed at protecting labor rights and reducing irregular migration.

According to Bishnu KC, Chairman of Aakarshan International, workers going abroad under the zero-cost model are able to send remittances to Nepal through formal banking channels instead of using their earnings to repay recruitment-related debts. “This system improves workers’ living standards while also enhancing remittance transparency, stability, and its positive contribution to the national economy,” KC said.

KC added that Wistron Technology advances NPR 120,000 per worker before departure, covering all mandatory expenses. These include passport processing, labor approval, visa fees, air tickets, medical examinations, insurance, pre-departure orientation training, employment contracts, and all procedures related to social security.

Because Wistron Technology is a multinational company, it maintains a strict policy prohibiting any form of fee collection from workers. Nepali workers recruited by the company are allowed to retain their own passports, a key safeguard against forced labor practices.

Additionally, if a worker is dissatisfied with the job, they are allowed to return to Nepal within 15 days, according to the agreed conditions.

Aakarshan International has been facilitating zero-cost foreign employment for the past 10 years, KC said, adding that thousands of Nepali applicants are currently seeking employment in Malaysia, with interviews and selection processes ongoing.

Expressing concern over persistent issues of brokers and fraud in foreign employment, KC said the company remains committed to sending Nepali workers abroad through legal, safe, transparent, and accountable mechanisms. “Our primary objective is to protect workers from exploitation and connect them to jobs that match their skills,” he said.

Malaysia has currently fixed the minimum wage at 1,700 Malaysian ringgit, which applies equally to both Malaysian citizens and migrant workers.

The uniform application of minimum wage policy has made Malaysia a relatively attractive destination for Nepali migrant workers seeking stable and regulated employment opportunities.

The latest recruitment initiative by Wistron Technology is being viewed as a positive step toward setting higher standards in Nepal’s foreign employment sector, particularly at a time when concerns over recruitment costs, fraud, and worker exploitation continue to dominate public discourse.