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 workers, who have been cleared by a police vetting exercise, are holding
special "tamper-proof" machine-readable passports and computerised
identity cards.
<p>Acting Pakistani High Commissioner to Malaysia Jamshaid Iftikhar said the workers
were all keen to prove themselves as "hardworking and sincere Pakistanis."
</p>
<p>"There is no doubt in my mind that they will succeed here. Our prime minister
and ministers have met over this issue and now it is time for our workers to
deliver. </p>
<p>"I am absolutely confident that they will," he added. </p>
<p>Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had announced during his visit
to Islamabad in February that Malaysia had agreed to accept Pakistan as a source
country for labour. </p>
<p>The initial batch of workers will be attached to a manufacturing company based
here. </p>
<p>Jamshaid said more Pakistani workers would arrive to fill vacancies in the
services, plantations and manufacturing sectors.
Address: Wisma MTUC,10-5, Jalan USJ 9/5T, 47620 Subang Jaya,Selangor | Tel: 03-80242953 | Fax: 03-80243225 | Email: sgmtuc@gmail.com.com