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?
In a statement, MTUC secretary-general G Rajasekaran said the Human Resources Ministry should have a bigger say in this matter like verifying employers application and their needs.
<P>“We believe the Human Resources Ministry
has reliable statistics on manpower needs and availability of Malaysian workers,”
he added.</P><P>Rajasekaran was responding to a statement made by Home Minister
Radzi Sheikh Ahmad that some two million foreign workers in the country will be
supervised and managed by the Home Ministry when the Foreign Workers Bill is passed.</P><P>Set
to be tabled for first reading at the Dewan Rakyat next month, the Bill will allow
the ministry to take over some of the responsibilities of the Human Resources
and Tourism Ministries.</P><P>“We manage the workers via the issuance of
work permits and make sure employers pay the levy and insurance. If the employers
do not pay up, we don’t issue the permits.</P><P>“We also have the resources
to control two million foreign workers, unlike the other two ministries,”
Radzi was quoted as saying in a news report.</P><P>Currently, the hiring of foreign
workers, including domestic helpers, is under the purview of the Human Resources
Ministry, although work permits are issued by the Home Ministry.</P><P><B>Not
approachable</B></P><P>Rajasekaran pointed out that the Home Ministry is not as
approachable compared to the Human Resources Ministry and Labour Department.</P><P>“They
don’t seem to have any sympathy to the problems faced by migrant workers,”
he said</P><P>Such problems that fall under the Labour Department and Human Resources
Ministry include the non-payment of wages and breach of contract by paying less
than the contracted wages.</P><P>Also, provisions in the Employment Act relating
to overtime, working hours, paid sick leave, annual lave and public holidays are
also violated.</P><P>He said the Immigration Department has a hand in making life
for migrants more difficult than it already is.</P><P>“We get cases of workers
not paid wages for six months to one year and when they demand their payment,
employer’s terminate them and notify the Immigration Department.</P><P>“(The
department) promptly cancels their work permit and declare them as illegal. Immigration
officers turn a deaf ear to their complaints on wages owed to them,” he alleged.</P><P>Rajasekaran
also noted that the Home Ministry contradicted the condition set by the Human
Resources Ministry.</P><P>According to him, the Human Resources Ministry has repeatedly
stated that migrant workers are allowed to join trade unions but the Home Ministry
banned migrants from joining unions as a condition on the work permit.</P><P>“This
has caused embarrassment to Malaysia at international meetings at the International
Labour Organisation and others,” he added.</P>
<P><I>Source: http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/63505</I>
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