The government of Malaysia has clarified that health examinations of Nepali migrant workers and related fee collection under the Biomedical System (BMS) are being carried out through 36 authorised health institutions in Nepal, in line with the bilateral labour agreement.

In a public notice issued on Monday, the Malaysian Embassy in Kathmandu referred to the agreement on recruitment, employment and repatriation of workers signed on October 29, 2018.

It said the 36 health institutions in Nepal are authorised to conduct medical tests for workers bound for Malaysia through the BMS system.

The embassy said, in addition to the fee fixed by the Nepal government, an extra service charge of Rs 3,000 had been set by Malaysia.

It added that costs related to the biomedical system are to be borne by employers, with Malaysian employers required to reimburse the amount through workers’ first-month salary.

Nepal’s Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security has fixed Rs 6,500 for medical examinations, while an additional Rs 3,000 can be charged for the BMS system.

The embassy also said Macro Tech Pvt Ltd and Bestinet Sdn Bhd have been authorised to implement the system, collect fees and transfer funds in line with legal arrangements between the two governments.

It said both firms are operating under agreements between the governments of Nepal and Malaysia.

Malaysia and other labour destination countries require workers to submit medical reports from listed health institutions that comply with their health protocols.

The Gulf Cooperation Council has authorised 31 medical institutions in Nepal for workers heading to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman. One institution is approved for Qatar, five for Israel and four for South Korea.