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?
Thousands of Malaysian workers today staged a nationwide protest demanding the government set a compulsory monthly minimum wage of RM900.
The Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC), the country’s largest labour group, said about 30,000 of its members joined the protest across the country.
About a thousand picketed the Employees Provident Fund headquarters near central Kuala Lumpur, the MTUC said.
Opposition leaders such as R Sivarasa, Hatta Ramli, Salahuddin Ayub and Dr Nasir Hashim were also present to show support to the union at the EPF building.
Police said the protest was largely peaceful and there were no immediate reports of violence.
The nationwide protest was the second since June spearheaded by the trade unions, and was meant to push government to accede to the minimum wage demand to protect workers from a large pool of foreign workers competing for jobs.
“We have to show the government that we are serious in our intentions and they must comply with our demands,” said MTUC secretary general G Rajasekaran.
Need for minimum-wage law
He said that after the first protest, the government invited them for talks but only to advise unions to set up wage councils for different industries.
The government response, he said, was unacceptable.
“We need a law for (a) minimum wage to ensure a better future for us and the country,” Rajasekaran said.
Opposition party DAP supported the protest, saying local workers needed to be protected from the influx of foreigners cornering a major chunk of the labour market.
Malaysia’s construction and plantation sectors rely heavily on the services of cheap labour from an estimated pool of nearly half a million illegal workers from neighbouring countries.
The Malaysian Institute of Economic Research earlier estimated that by 2010, there will be an estimated five million foreign workers in Malaysia.
Workers in constant debt
Meanwhile, at the EPF headquarters in Jalan Raja Laut, Kuala Lumpur, slogans calling out for minimum wage were punctuated with honks from passing vehicles during rush hour, reports malaysiakini’s Bede Hong.
“Why is the government so worried. As far as MTUC is concerned we will fight all out. Don’t play with MTUC because we represent a million workers in the country. That is the message we want to convey to the government,” said MTUC vice president Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid.
Protestors held placards that read “Government sold rights of workers”, “Human Resource Ministry conspire with employers to oppress workers”, “PM: Stop HR Ministry’s little Napoleons” and “RM350 salary – This after 50 years of Independence?”
“The government should take care of their own people first, instead of using the influx of foreign labourers as an excuse,” said Mohd Zamhuri Abu Tahir, 58, a retired contractor.
Noraini Mohamad, 29, a bank employee from Rawang said, “Inflation in these past two years has made life very difficult for those who earn less than RM900.”
Menara Maybank Union chairperson Aziz Abu Kamir felt banks can afford to implement minimum wage: “The CEOs (chief executive officers) are paid so much. The banks are making so much money, while dispatch riders are only paid RM600 while clerks are paid less than RM900.”
There are over 5,000 bank employees that earn less than RM900, said National Union of Bank Employees general secretary J Solomon.
“These workers cannot afford to live in the capital with such meagre pay. They are in constant debt, placing great strain on their families.”
Prathap Vasudevan, 45, a concierge in a local hotel said, “I have been working in the front lines for 15 years, but I still make just over RM1,000. There should be minimum wage if the government is serious in promoting the tourism sector.”
Source: Malaysiakini
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