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?
Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn said this was to protect
workers who were not in the managerial or executive level.
<p>However, the ministry could not standardise the total number of days for maternity
leave for all workers as some of them, especially those in the managerial level,
were entitled to better terms and conditions, he said. </p>
<p>“Generally, those who earn more than RM1,500 are in the executive category
and the terms and conditions in their employment contract or appointment letter
could be negotiated with their employers,” he said at a post-Cabinet meeting
at his ministry here yesterday. </p>
<p>Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Shahrizat Abdul Jalil
had said on Tuesday that all working women should be entitled to a minimum 60
days’ maternity leave. </p>
<p>She said the provision in the Act should be revised as it was outdated and
that it was time the issue was tackled. </p>
<p>The amendment will only affect those in the private sector and not civil servants
as they are already entitled to 60 days’ maternity leave. </p>
<p>However, Dr Fong said the proposal to raise the ceiling salary was not to discriminate
those who were not covered by the Act but to ensure that lower-income earners
were protected. </p>
<p>Other suggestions include the number of days for annual leave, overtime claims
and bonuses for employees protected by the Act. </p>
<p>On another matter, Dr Fong said his ministry hoped to expand the number of
students enrolled into skills training institutes from 20,000 to 35,000 per
year by the end of the Ninth Malaysia Plan. </p>
<p>He said this was in line with the Government’s move to ensure that the
country had sufficient skilled workers to lessen dependence on foreign workers.
</p>
<p>The ministry, he said, would also work closely with the private sector to get
feedback from big companies on the employees they would hire.
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