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?
Tenaganita, the organisation that prepared the survey report after interviewing
150 jobless and stranded Bangladeshi workers and studying 36 cases of the workers,
also described their exploitation as trafficking.
<p>Apart from the official fees including visa, levy and attestation, the outsourcing
companies had to pay between 1,500 and 2,000 Malaysian Ringgit equivalent to
Tk 30,000 and Tk 40,000 in different forms to the Malaysian home ministry, according
to a statement signed by Tenaganita Director Irene Fernandez.</p>
<p>The outsourcing companies, which pen deals with the principal companies for
supplying workers through recruiting agencies in Bangladesh, also spend between
1,000 and 2,000 Malaysian Ringgit equivalent to Tk 20,000 and Tk 40,000 as ‘lobbyist
fee’, the statement added.</p>
<p>MAH Salim, former president of now dissolved Bangladesh Association of International
Recruiting Agencies, earlier told reporters that they had to charge more money
than the government-fixed rate (Tk 85,000) from the workers for paying the ‘lobbyist
fee’ in Malaysia.</p>
<p>Tenaganita said the Bangladesh government has arrested Salim for collecting
unauthorised fees from the workers.</p>
<p>"With such developments, why the Malaysian government is still continuing
the outsourcing system for workers recruitment?" said the human rights
body.</p>
<p>Tenaganita also submitted a memorandum to the Malaysian Human Rights Commission
in this regard.</p>
<p>There is a general practice in Bangladesh that the recruiting agents collect
workers through manpower brokers who also make a good amount from the workers
pushing the total amount two to three times higher than the actual cost, it
said.</p>
<p>"We are concerned over the ‘cuts’ the different parties are taking from
the total fees paid by the poor Bangladeshi workers," the statement of
the human rights body said.</p>
<p>Demanding actions against the outsourcing companies under the Anti Trafficking
in Persons Act, Tenaganita said, "We want the outsourcing strategy for
labour employment be scrapped as it has failed and brought human rights violations."</p>
<p>The human rights body in its report also quoted the workers as saying that
they were given neither jobs nor food.</p>
<p>"The living conditions were deplorable, unhealthy and overcrowded. The
workers’ passports were taken away on arrival," the Tenaganita report said.</p>
<p>"The workers had a contract attested both by the Malaysian home ministry
and the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur. The attestation was made
only after verification of work and demand is confirmed with the principal company.
Why then the workers did not get the jobs?" it posed a question.</p>
<p>The Malaysian human rights organisation also demanded the stranded Bangladeshi
workers be compensated for their sufferings, repatriated to their native countries
safely or employed directly to companies that need workers.</p>
<p>More than one lakh workers have been sent to Malaysia since August last year.</p>
<p><i>Source: http://www.thedailystar.net/2007/07/30/d7073001117.htm</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