Medical tests for Malaysia-bound workers to begin 31 Oct

Medical examinations for workers seeking employment in Malaysia will begin at authorised medical centres on 31 October.

According to a press release from the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment issued on Monday (26 October), no medical examinations could be conducted before the date.

A list of authorised medical centres will be published on the ministry’s website soon.

Centres may be removed from or added to the list based on compliance with official instructions and their capacity to provide the required services.

The ministry has warned that no medical centre or recruiting agency may conduct or arrange medical examinations without official instructions and approval from the ministry.

It said reports had reached the ministry that some brokers and unscrupulous recruiting agencies were attempting to collect passports and money from workers by offering unauthorised medical examinations.

Workers have been urged not to respond to such offers or hand over their passports or money before verifying the authorisation of the relevant medical centre or agency.

Medical examinations conducted before 31 October will not be accepted or processed for immigration clearance.

Until further notice, recruiting agencies applying for clearance from the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) must submit the relevant documents, along with Visa with Reference (VDR) visa papers, for medical examinations at authorised centres.

The ministry warned that medical centres and recruiting agencies violating the instructions would face legal action under existing laws and regulations.

Possible penalties include suspension of medical centre operations, suspension of overseas recruitment activities by the relevant agencies and cancellation of ministry approval.

Workers have been asked to report unauthorized medical examinations or related activities, along with supporting evidence, to [email protected].

The ministry said monitoring would continue to prevent irregularities and protect the safety and interests of migrant workers. It urged all workers, recruiting agencies and medical centres to comply with the official instructions, which take immediate effect in the public interest.