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?
MTUC secretary-general G. Rajasekaran said the ministry should suspend all
recruitment through outsourced agents to overcome the problem. </p>
<p>“The Government should revert to the earlier policy of issuing permits
directly to employers based on their demand.
<p>“This would enable the Government to make employers accountable for their
recruits,” he said in a statement here Wednesday. </p>
<p>He said there were about 3,000 Bangladeshi workers being forced to stay in
the KLIA carpark for more than 10 days currently and many were reported to be
ill. </p>
<p>He also said the workers, guarded by Rela members, had legal documents but
the recruiting agents, who brought them in, did not pick them up from the airport.
</p>
<p>“A number of workers interviewed said that they paid between RM10,000
and RM12,000 to recruiting agents to work in Malaysia,” he said. </p>
<p>Rajasekaran also said the number of migrant workers left stranded without jobs
had increased tremendously, after the Government started issuing licences to
more than 220 agents to bring in foreign workers. </p>
<p>He also called on the Bangladeshi Government to play a more prominent role
in regulating the recruitment process to protect its people. </p>
<p>“It is estimated that close to 1,000 documented migrant workers are arriving
through KLIA daily. </p>
<p>“We suspect that many will have no work and no earnings for days and weeks,”
said Rajasekaran. </p>
<p>The Star highlighted last week that thousands of foreign workers, mostly Bangladeshis,
were forced to eat and sleep in the KLIA carpark after arriving at the airport.
</p>
<p>The report said according to a foreign worker agent there, the workers would
be deported if their employers failed to pick them up from the airport within
seven days. </p>
<p>It also said that the Immigration Department decided to convert the carpark
into a makeshift shelter for the foreigners, as the department did not want
the foreigners to linger around the airport.</p>
<p><i>Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/9/19/nation/20070919173834&sec=nation</i>
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