Migrant worker rights specialist ([email protected]) living in Nepal, focused on migration in/from Asia, exploring Himalayas, investigating the unreported
Worldwide
Joined November 2011
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Andy Hall retweeted
Beautiful memorial to Chutima "Oi" Sidasathian by the @FCCThai, remembering her amazing reporting for #Phuketwan on the #Rohingya boat people crisis and her tireless efforts for media freedom, and freedom of expression in #Thailand. May she rest in peace. fccthai.com/news/chutima-oi-…
Andy Hall retweeted
We are deeply saddened by the death of Dr Chutima 'Oi' Sidasathian. She dedicated her life to reporting on Rohingya trafficking and corruption, refusing to be silenced even as she faced criminal charges:
mediadefence.org/news/rememb…
Andy Hall retweeted
Index on Censorship remembers Chutima Sidasathian, a pioneering, award-winning journalist and community advocate who dedicated her work to overlooked and marginalised communities.
We remember Sidasathian, who died last week aged 44:
indexoncensorship.org/2026/0…
Andy Hall retweeted
Very sad about the tragic passing of rights activist extraordinaire Oi Chutima Sidasathien after a long illness. She was the best of us, always engaged in the fight for justice for the farmers, the migrants, the boat refugees, and her fellow activists. She stood up for freedom of expression and media freedom against entrenched, rights abusing actors and institutions all her life. We will miss you greatly, Oi.
Andy Hall retweeted
Ahead of M'sia visit, migrant workers press Bangladesh PM to end recruitment syndicates dlvr.it/TT4YKh
Andy Hall retweeted
The Migrant Welfare Network has submitted a public letter to Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman ahead of his visit to Malaysia, urging his government to dismantle recruitment syndicates.
Bangladesh is the only country subjected to a syndicate-based recruitment model in Malaysia, where worker recruitment is controlled by a limited number of agencies, the group said.
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Andy Hall retweeted
STATEMENT: Two UN Bodies Just Told Bestinet: Don’t Put Our Names on This
This week, two of the most credible international bodies on labour and migration drew a clear line. The ILO said it does not endorse Bestinet or its Foreign Workers Centralised Management System (FWCMS).
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Andy Hall retweeted
The International Labour Organization has denied claims by Bestinet that its Foreign Workers Centralised Management System is recognised by the United Nations.
The ILO said the World Summit Award received by FWCMS in 2017, which Bestinet's solicitors described as global validation of the system, was not issued by the global intergovernmental organisation.
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Andy Hall retweeted
Malaysia plans to adopt a new foreign worker recruitment system developed by Bestinet, founded by Aminul Islam.
The Universal Recruitment Advanced Platform enables direct hiring via a digital portal, reducing reliance on middlemen, Bloomberg reported.
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bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Bangladeshi workers pay recruitment fees of up to US$6,600 to work in Malaysia, significantly higher than those paid by other migrant groups, only to face exploitation and trafficking, Bloomberg reports.
Several migrants allege that senior Malaysian officials are aware of the abuses and personally profit from the recruitment fees, including through involvement with Bestinet.
bloomberg.com/features/2026-…
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Andy Hall retweeted
Malaysia is planning to adopt a new foreign worker recruitment system developed by the company founded by labor tycoon Aminul Islam, sources say bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Andy Hall retweeted
The Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) condemns the actions taken by Bestinet Sdn. Bhd. in suing 10 media outlets and individuals pertaining to Bloomberg’s report, “Everyone gets a cut, and migrant workers pay the price”. This report alleged that Bangladeshi migrants had to borrow a hefty amount of money so they could pay an alleged “syndicate fee” to work in Malaysia, attributing this to the Foreign Worker Centralised Management System (FWCMS) created by Bestinet and adopted by Malaysia in 2015.
The action taken by Bestinet has clear elements of strategic litigation against public participation (SLAPP), actively using lawsuits to file disproportionate damages claims and ex-parte injunctions to silence journalists and members of the media in doing their due diligence in reporting on matters pertaining to the public interest. These actions against the media, as the fourth pillar of democracy, serve to intimidate and create a chilling environment for them in regard to public interest reporting.
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Read the full statement on our website. Link in bio.
ALT PRESS STATEMENT 25 February 2026 CIJ Condemns SLAPP Against Media by Bestinet Read the full statement on our website. Link in bio.
Andy Hall retweeted
Bestinet and its founder, Aminul Islam, have sued 10 media outlets and individuals, including Malaysiakini, Rafizi Ramli, and Latheefa Koya, over a Bloomberg report on migrant worker recruitment to Malaysia.
They claim the report accused them of human trafficking, blocking government access to the Foreign Worker Centralised Management System, and profiting from vulnerable migrants, among others.
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Bangladeshi workers pay recruitment fees of up to US$6,600 to work in Malaysia, significantly higher than those paid by other migrant groups, only to face exploitation and trafficking, Bloomberg reports.
Several migrants allege that senior Malaysian officials are aware of the abuses and personally profit from the recruitment fees, including through involvement with Bestinet.
bloomberg.com/features/2026-…
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Andy Hall retweeted
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission was set up to fight graft. Now some of its members have been accused of the very wrongdoing they are meant to stop, allegedly helping a group of businessmen seize control of companies.
Questions about the commission’s conduct go all the way to the top.
Watch the full story bloom.bg/44zKGBS
Andy Hall retweeted
Bestinet was founded in 2008 by Datuk Seri Aminul Islam, a Bangladeshi businessman in Malaysia. Reports from Bloomberg and The Edge link him and Ruhul Amin (of Catharsis International) to a recruitment syndicate allegedly profiting from Bangladeshi workers via high fees and monopolies since 2015.
PM Anwar Ibrahim's administration discussed reforms in 2022 and renewed Bestinet's contract in 2024 amid lobbying. He has pledged to help stranded workers, indicating government awareness of migrant issues, though direct knowledge of specific scams isn't confirmed in sources.
Andy Hall retweeted
Bangladeshi workers pay recruitment fees of up to US$6,600 to work in Malaysia, significantly higher than those paid by other migrant groups, only to face exploitation and trafficking, Bloomberg reports.
Several migrants allege that senior Malaysian officials are aware of the abuses and personally profit from the recruitment fees, including through involvement with Bestinet.
bloomberg.com/features/2026-…
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Andy Hall retweeted
It follows a 10-month investigation into the dark world of migrant worker recruitment that has destroyed the lives of thousands of poor families.
#AzamBaki #Immigration #Corruption #ZahidHamidi #Bangladesh #WorkPermit #Bloomberg #Bestinet #AminulIslam
malaysianow.com/news/2026/01…
Andy Hall retweeted
Total silence from Putrajaya since this story came out a couple of days ago.
Where are all the big boasts about fighting corruption, cartels etc?
It is a sickening, nauseating tale
of the exploitation of desperate migrant workers, while political & business elites reap the benefits and profits.
We now sound like one of those warlord-run corrupt African states we often read about.
Don’t even bother denying, we know it’s true - the migrant recruitment abuse in M’sia has been known for a long time & it damns us as a nation.
But arising from this new expose, the big question is - why did the cabinet under Anwar renew Bestinet in 2024?
And why has the Madani govt closed its eyes to the loathsome trade in human beings that is the Bangladesh migrant recruitment system in M’sia?
bloomberg.com/features/2026-…
Andy Hall retweeted
The Isaan Record has obtained evidence from files of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) indicating that two politicians and five high-ranking officials accepted cash bribes 36 million baht from brokers linked to Finnish berry companies.
theisaanrecord.co/2026/01/26…
Andy Hall retweeted
Yes, a recent Bloomberg investigation (Jan 23, 2026) details exploitation of Bangladeshi migrant workers in Malaysia, including high recruitment fees leading to debt bondage and forced labor. It alleges corruption involving recruitment syndicates with political ties in both countries. Over 800k workers affected in the past decade. Malaysian and Bangladeshi governments didn't respond to Bloomberg's queries; some Malaysian ex-MPs now call for probes. For full article: bloomberg.com/features/2026-…
Andy Hall retweeted
Endemic corruption in the Bangladesh-Malaysia migrant worker system is enriching some, while trapping the hopeful in a punishing economy of exploitation.
xitter.cf/i/status/2014567421068…
theedgemalaysia.com/node/790…
