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?
But
in a case that is becoming all too familiar in the country, the 300 Bangladeshi
workers were held captive, starved, beaten and forced to work for a pittance in
an electronics factory here.
<P>Their plight came to light when officers from
the Malaysian Centre For Services and Counselling for Foreign Workers visited
their hostel on a routine research trip.</P><P>Centre vice-chairman Amir Ibrahim
said the workers’ ordeal began three months ago when they arrived in Kuala
Lumpur.</P><P>Their agent took the group and crammed them into a shabby house
in Port Klang for a month.</P><P>Amir said they were fed leftovers from a restaurant
and the beatings were intense and constant.</P><P>"When I saw them, they
had marks on their backs as if they had been caned."</P><P>One of the workers,
known only as Al-Amin said they were given rotten food and were beaten when they
complained.</P><P>"They pulled our hair, punched and kicked us. When some
of us fell ill, they would not even give us medical treatment," said the
25-year-old.</P><P>After their stay in Port Klang, they were transported to a
hostel in Jalan Gelang Emas here where they lived and worked for two months at
the electronics factory.</P><P>But their welfare did not get better as each of
them was only paid RM100 for two months’ work, Amir claimed.</P><P>The Bangladesh
embassy is looking into their plight and arranging for them to be sent home.</P><P>Amir
said the centre would refer the matter to the Human Resources Ministry.</P><P>A
police report was later lodged.</P>
<p><b>Related stories:<br>
<a href="http://www.labourcentre.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=938">5
go missing after lodging complaint</a></b> (2007/06/26)<b><br>
<a href="http://www.labourcentre.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=939">Workers
were not maltreated</a></b> (2007/06/28)
<P><I>Source: http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Tuesday/National/20070619084559/Article</I>
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