Malaysia is one of Asia's biggest employers of foreign labour. But recently, cases of deaths, abuse and forced labour have come to light. What is going on? Who is protecting these migrant workers?
<table width="19%" border="0" align="left">
<tr>
<td><img src="images/news/2007/insidepix1sivasubramaniam.jpg" width="350" height="192"></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b><font color="#666666">Suhakam Commissioner Datuk N. Siva Subramaniam
checking on foreign workers who were stranded upon arrival at the Kuala
Lumpur international Airport recently.</font></b></td>
</tr>
</table>
<p>In a nationwide blitz, its officers will visit all employers of foreign workers
from Nov 1 to ensure foreign workers are treated well.</p>
<p>This includes households with foreign maids.Human Resources Minister Datuk
Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn said this time, errant employers would be punished as
the government wanted to correct the negative picture that "working conditions
in Malaysia were deplorable".</p>
<p>He warned: "We will not be lenient. They have painted a bad image of the
country and they will pay."</p>
<p>Action includes prosecution under labour laws and preventing errant employers
from ever hiring foreign workers.</p>
<p>Department records apparently show that almost half of the employers have caused
problems for their workers.Employers in the service sector, including those
in the hotel and restaurant business, top the list of errant bosses.</p>
<p>More than 1.7 million foreign workers are employed in plantations and other
industries while another 320,000 are working as maids.</p>
<p>The inspection comes in the wake of cases of foreign workers being ill-treated
or left stranded upon arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.</p>
<p>Apart from targeting bosses in the service sector, the department’s officers
will train their sights on employers in the manufacturing, construction, plantation
and agriculture sectors.</p>
<p>The 283 outsourcing companies authorised to bring in foreign workers will also
be scrutinised.</p>
<p>Fong said his officers would check if employers had infringed laws governing
the recruitment of workers.</p>
<p>"We will be checking if the foreign workers are covered by insurance,
as required by the law. The living conditions of these workers will also be
on our checklist.</p>
<p>"We want to ensure that foreign workers are paid in accordance with the
agreement in their contract and that they are given the same facilities and
benefits that local employees get, including overtime payments and leave,"
he said at his ministry’s Hari Raya gathering yesterday.</p>
<p>Fong said claims of ignorance of the law would no longer be accepted.</p>
<p>"If you employ foreign workers, find out from our labour offices (39 branches)
what you should and not do. Do this before you are sniffed out."</p>
<p>He said the inspection, which would be done aggressively for three months,
would help give the government a clearer picture of the state of foreign workers
as well as provide input for the drawing up of the country’s human resources
master plan.</p>
<p>Employers committing any offence under labour laws would be liable to a maximum
fine of between RM2,000 and RM20,000 for every employee involved.</p>
<p>The Workmen’s Compensation Act 1952 also allows for a jail term of between
one and two years.</p>
<p>He said unlike previously, from now anyone who committed an offence would face
prosecution. They would also be barred from employing foreign workers.</p>
<p><i>Source: http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Friday/Frontpage/2068867/Article/index_html</i>
Address: Wisma MTUC,10-5, Jalan USJ 9/5T, 47620 Subang Jaya,Selangor | Tel: 03-80242953 | Fax: 03-80243225 | Email: sgmtuc@gmail.com.com