MALAYSIA: The Embassy of Nepal reported that Nepali migrants died at a rate of one per day in Malaysia during 2017.

Moreover, the death toll on average remains the same this year as Embassy statistics suggest that Malaysia has witnessed 322 deaths of Nepali workers so far in 2018.

Suicide, road-industrial accidents and diseases are leading causes behind the number of casualties, officials say.

Nepal’s Charge d’ Affaires at the Embassy, Kumar Raj Kharel said that out of the total casualties in 2018, 43 committed suicide while 39 succumbed to serious diseases.

Likewise, 25 Nepali workers were killed in road accidents and 17 died because of industrial mishaps.

Moreover, alcohol abuse and brawls among other reasons caused the death of 198 Nepali workers in 2018. Among the dead, one is a female worker while others are all male.

According to Kharel, tuberculosis, liver ailment, dengue, brain hemorrhage, appendicitis, meningitis, and other afflictions spike the death toll every year. Moreover, Nepali migrant workers also suffered untimely deaths due to lack of required skills for work, and inhospitable situation of Malaysia, Kharel added.

Official statistics show, at present, Malaysia houses around 383 thousand Nepali migrant workers. And the number of those working illegally after expiry of visa terms has been estimated at around 100 thousand.

As of now, Nepali workers are not allowed to undertake jobs in Malysia as the recently signed bilateral labour agreement remains unimplemented.