UPDATE - Malaysia to prioritize workers from Bangladesh, says Premier Anwar

UPDATES WITH COMMENTS FROM LEADERS; CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK, EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Faisal Mahmud and SM Nazmus Saqib

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) - Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told Bangladesh transitional government head Muhammad Yunus on Friday that his government will prioritize the entry of 18,000 Bangladeshi workers to Malaysia.

Anwar told Yunus that his government would also ensure fair working conditions for all the workers.

The Malaysian prime minister is on a day-long trip to Bangladesh, first by any foreign leader since Yunus was appointed head of the transitional government in August.

Yunus took charge of the transitional government after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India on Aug. 5 after the student-civilian uprising.

After Yunus assumed his latest role, Anwar was also the first foreign leader to call him and offer Kuala Lumpur’s "help and support" to the transitional government.

The two held a meeting in the capital Dhaka before meeting the press.

"While we need workers, they cannot be treated as modern slaves, regardless of whether they come from Bangladesh or elsewhere. I have made this clear before," he said in response to a question from journalists during a joint news conference with Yunus.

The prime minister also urged Bangladesh to remain vigilant and to avoid defending criminal actions by anyone, whether they are Malaysians or foreigners in Malaysia.

Yunus and Anwar focused on three key areas: politics, trade, and investment.

They also addressed issues of mutual interest including economic and political cooperation, trade and investment, education, technology, human resource development, higher education collaboration, infrastructure development, and defense.

Malaysia is set to assume the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this coming January and the Rohingya crisis was a significant topic of discussion during the meeting.

"We discussed the safe repatriation of forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals to Myanmar and requested the Malaysian prime minister to raise the Rohingya repatriation issue in the ASEAN forum to expedite a resolution to this ongoing crisis," Yunus said.

About 1.2 million Rohingya have been in Bangladesh since August 2017, fleeing a severe military crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine state.

Ahead of his trip to Bangladesh, Anwar paid a three-day official visit to Pakistan.