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?
Their leader, named only as Lukman (photo), said personnel from Plato Construction
(M) Sdn Bhd had told them to vacate the area by this morning. </p>
<p>"We called the Indonesian embassy. They told us they would ask the police
to patrol the place. After that the contractor did not take any action,"
he said.
<p>He said there were initially 12 makeshift homes but that eight have been demolished,
forcing the 90 workers to share the remaining quarters. </p>
<p>He said the houses were demolished last month while the workers had gone to
the embassy to seek help in getting their wages paid. </p>
<p>As a result, the workers are reluctant to leave the site again. Lukman insisted
that malaysiakini should speak to him at the site. </p>
<p>"I don’t want to go out. The eight houses were demolished when we went
out," he said. </p>
<p><b>’We need the money’ </b></p>
<p>Lukman stressed that the group will not leave the site although they have been
advised by their embassy to return to Indonesia first. </p>
<p>"We will wait for our wages to be paid. The only proof that we have done
our work are the buildings here," said the worker from East Java. </p>
<p>"We really need the money. We hope the employer will pay us. Even if we
go back, we will need money to survive." </p>
<p>Work at the site – an 18-storey condominium – is continuing and a security
guard said the disgruntled workers did not cause any problems. </p>
<p>The workers had earlier accused the sub-contractor of not paying their wages
amounting to a total of RM150,000. </p>
<p>Plato Construction is owned by MK Land Holdings Bhd, whose officials remained
tightlipped on the matter when approached at the site. </p>
<p>The workers have sent a letter to MK Land Holdings, urging chief operations
officer Mustafa Kamal Abu Bakar to look into the matter.<br>
An officer said today that the company would issue a statement on the issues
involved, but declined further comment.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Indonesian parliamentarian Chaerul Anwar who has been on a fact-finding
visit to Malaysia said the workers’ case will be discussed in Jakarta.</p>
<p>Chaerul, with five other parliamentarians from Partai Keadilan Sejahtera, visited
the workers in Damansara Damai last week. </p>
<p>A report on this case and other matters involving Indonesian immigrants will
be released at a press conference in Jakarta later this week.</p>
<p>Last Monday, local workers support group, the Labour Resource Centre, has filed
a police report against MK Land chief Mustafa for the alleged hiring and non-payment
of wages to the illegal workers.
Address: Wisma MTUC,10-5, Jalan USJ 9/5T, 47620 Subang Jaya,Selangor | Tel: 03-80242953 | Fax: 03-80243225 | Email: sgmtuc@gmail.com.com