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?
The men gathered for several hours Sunday to charge that they were each made
to pay from 10,000 to 14,000 ringgit (2,941 to 4,118 dollars) to travel to Malaysia
and secure jobs, the group’s representative Mohamed Anis Miah said.
<p>The workers have been jobless since arriving in the country in March, Mohamed
Anis said, adding that the agent had since placed them in deplorable sleeping
conditions.</p>
<p>“When we arrived, we were placed in a shelter with no walls for 25 days
before we were moved to an overcrowded dormitory,” he was quoted as saying
by the official Bernama news agency.</p>
<p>About 300 Bangladeshis were forced to live in the hostel that was only fit
for 50 people, he said.</p>
<p>Mohamed Anis said the workers had signed contracts promising them a job paying
them 780 ringgit a month with free accommodations.</p>
<p>“Now, there are not even 100 of us with jobs,” he said.</p>
<p>He said the group of men have lodged police reports against the local agent,
adding that they hoped the government would help them return to their home country.</p>
<p>The state’s deputy immigration department chief arrived at the gathering
place Sunday and arranged for a meeting with the workers and the agent’s
representative.</p>
<p>2007 dpa – Deutsche Presse-Agentur</p>
<p><i>Source: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/theworld/2007/July/theworld_July36.xml&section=theworld&col=</i>
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