Social media rumours claiming 25 Bangladeshi recruiting agencies were selected to send workers to Malaysia under calling visas have been debunked by official sources.

Fabricated notice circulated widely on Facebook pages, WhatsApp groups and unauthorised platforms on Monday claimed Malaysia's government approved 25 agencies. However, Malaysia's Ministry of Human Resources issued no such list or announcement, investigations confirmed.

Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia stated any approved agency list would be announced through official government-to-government channels only. Commission urged people to ignore unverified information and follow only announcements from Bangladesh's Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment and the High Commission.

Officials warned against signing contracts, paying money or submitting passports based on agency claims. Malaysia's latest policy includes no fixed list, quota or nomination system. Instead, government introduced a new e-visa and digital verification process to boost transparency.

Harunur Rashid, a Bangladeshi expatriate in Malaysia, said fake lists increase worker anxiety. "Any rumour destabilises the labour market and misleads job seekers into falling for scams, causing financial loss," he said.

Migration policy expert Dr M Niaz Asadullah called the fake lists a middlemen strategy. "They take advantage of uncertainty to extract money from ordinary applicants," he said. As recruitment becomes more transparent, brokers seek alternative operating methods, and such rumours are part of that approach.

Dr Asadullah added that Malaysia's industrial sector faces labour shortages, but the recruitment system is becoming more digital and regulated. Government wants to shift recruitment to a direct online platform to prevent extra costs, human trafficking and corruption.