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 company has also been ordered to pay arrears in levy amounting to RM2.4
million.
<p>On top of that, the Klang- based top supplier of rubber gloves worldwide has
to fork out another RM170,000 to enable the Immigration Department to issue
temporary permits for the workers.</p>
<p>Immigration enforcement director Datuk Ishak Mohamed said the compound offer
was made following a directive from the Attorney- General’s Chambers yesterday.</p>
<p>"The compound is the highest and the first whereby someone has to pay
millions of ringgit," he said.</p>
<p>The company was found to have in its employment 2,400 illegal workers during
a raid at its premises in Klang on Aug 16. Two company senior executives were
detained to assist in investigations.</p>
<p>However, the management claimed that weaknesses in its recording system was
the reason for the permits not being renewed.</p>
<p>Under the Immigration Act, the company can be fined more than RM24 million
upon conviction.</p>
<p>Ishak said the workers with the expired permits were not charged but instead
compounded, with their employer having to pay the fines.</p>
<p>"The management has met me to inform of their willingness to settle the
RM11.4 million compound and RM2.4 million in levy arrears on behalf of their
workers.</p>
<p>"We have taken stern action in this case to deter other companies from
committing the same offence," he said.
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