Phnom Penh: Mr. Heng Sour, Minister of Labor and Vocational Training, presided over the “Election Ceremony for the President, Vice-President and Board Members for the 7th Mandate (2026-2031) and the Gala Dinner to Congratulate the New Board of Directors of the Association of Cambodian Labor Migration Agencies (ALMAC)”, formerly the Agra Association, on the evening of May 23, 2026 at the Oakwood Premier Phnom Penh Hotel.
With congratulations to Mr. Khleang Sokhor who was elected as the Chairman of the Board of Directors, as well as the new Chairman, Vice Chairman and Board members, the Minister expressed his deep gratitude and high appreciation to the association for its efforts in the past to strengthen the quality and efficiency of the work in recruiting, training, sending and managing Cambodian migrants to work abroad since the first mandate. The preparation of the new statutes and the election are a clear indication of the long-term vision, new mission and broader responsibilities of the association in expanding the scope of application to agencies providing labor migration services for Cambodians to work abroad and agencies providing labor migration services for foreigners to work in Cambodia in the future.
He firmly believes that under the leadership of the 7th mandate board of directors, the association will continue to maintain a strong spirit of unity, work together as one, and use the stipulated statutes to achieve even greater achievements and actively cooperate with the ministry in fulfilling its mission in the field of labor migration. The Ministry looks forward to continuing to cooperate with the association in supporting and promoting the sector to improve and provide maximum services and benefits to workers through a clear mechanism.
Mr. Heng Sour highlighted that labor migration It is an important driving force in contributing to the economic development of families, communities, and national society. Sending Cambodian workers to work abroad through legal mechanisms not only helps create job opportunities, increase income and improve family life, but also contributes to the transfer of technical skills, work experience and new technical knowledge to return to participate in the development of the Cambodian economy or create their own businesses through savings.
He said that overseas employment agencies is a key player in the labor migration cycle. The performance of each agency has a direct impact on the safety, dignity, rights and benefits of workers, as well as Cambodia’s reputation on the international stage. Therefore, the association must adhere to the principles of professional ethics, transparency and high responsibility. The dissemination of information about job opportunities, wages, benefits, working conditions and living conditions must also be based on facts and must not distort, exaggerate or conceal information that may lead workers to misunderstand or make uninformed decisions. In particular, the association must guide, monitor and promote the practice of its members to strictly comply with laws, regulations and guidelines of the Ministry to prevent illegal practices, fraud, improper charging of services and exploitation of workers.
The Minister encouraged the new leaders of the association to strive to specialize, learn from their fields, and jointly promote their prestige, dignity, and honor by adhering to the principles of solidarity, integrity, respect for the law, and professional responsibility. They must increase their efforts to open new job markets for their members, as well as continue to collaborate with ministries, institutions, national and international organizations, employers’ associations, unions, and relevant partners to jointly address challenges in the labor migration sector.
As the new Chairman of the Board of Directors, Mr. Khleang Sokhor pledged that he would work hard to serve the interests of the association, members and workers with fairness and transparency, as well as to increase closer cooperation with the Ministry of Labor and partners, especially in mobilizing sources of income to support the association, expand additional labor markets, and draw on good experiences from countries sending workers, etc.
