The Home Ministry has been challenged to release the list of companies which have requested for the 1.5 million Bangladeshi workers to be brought into Malaysia.

The challenge was issued by the Small and Medium Entrepreneurs Alliance (Ikhlas) today, which has been very vocal against the recruitment of the 1.5 million foreign workers.

"If you're truly transparent, then please reveal the companies, the sectors, the factories," Ikhlas president Mohd Ridzuan Abdullah said at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today.

The Home Ministry should have all this information on hand and could release the information tomorrow if it wanted to, he said.

However, Mohd Ridzuan said he hoped the ministry would reveal the information within the month.

He also slammed Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for insulting youths.

"If you're not worthy of the position, just resign. Don't ruin the image of the country and the prime minister. Don't insult the youths," he said of Zahid, who is also deputy prime minister.

There are Malaysian youths who are very willing to work 3D (dirty, dangerous and difficult) jobs, Mohd Ridzuan pointed out, but many of them chose to work in these jobs overseas as the pay is much better.

"The people today are not stupid and I hope on this issue, the youths will rise up against it," he said.

He also reminded that Ikhlas is a pro-government NGO, but it also listens to the voice of the people.

On Sunday, Zahid had challenged youths to take up 3D jobs if they were against the recruitment of 1.5 million Bangladeshi workers.

His call was supported by Youth Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, who said not many local youths are keen to take up 3D jobs.

Putrajaya and Dhaka last week signed a memorandum of understanding to allow Bangladeshi general workers into Malaysia.

There are 1.5 million workers on the Bangladeshi government’s recruitment database, who are keen to apply for jobs in Malaysia.