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?
Munifah, in her 30s, was rescued by police from a shop where she was working
after passing a note to a customer on Monday pleading for help.
<p>"I am Munifah. I want to ask for help because I have been asked to eat
pork by my employer and not allowed to pray. I am also beaten," said the
note, which was published by the New Straits Times.</p>
<p>The customer passed the note to the newspaper’s company, which alerted Seremban
police.</p>
<p>The Malay Mail tabloid said Munifah was either forced to eat pork or go hungry
and had previously tried to seek help. She later lodged a police complaint after
being taken from the shop.</p>
<p>However, Seremban police chief Hasanuddin Hassan said Munifah’s report did
not contain a complaint about being forced to eat food contrary to Islam.</p>
<p>"According to my officers, she said she wanted to go back to Indonesia,"
he told AFP.</p>
<p>Cruel bosses banned</p>
<p>Hasanuddin said Munifah, who told police she was a Muslim, had been sent back
to her employment agency to be taken care of.</p>
<p>"We saved her and so we referred her back to the agency," said Hasanuddin.</p>
<p>The government announced earlier this year that employers who were found to
be cruel would be banned from hiring new foreign workers, in a bid to curb abuses
and even deaths among foreign workers.</p>
<p>Last year 23 cases of mistreatment of foreign workers were recorded by the
immigration department while another 14 cases had been reported by June this
year. – AFP
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