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?
Most of the cases involve new employers who are unaware of their responsibility
to remit the contributions for their workers.
<p>Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn said some 300 Socso officials
were roped in on annual contract to track down the errant employers. </p>
<p>“The officials will conduct spot checks to remind the employers that every
worker must be registered with Socso,” he said after performing the groundbreaking
of the Socso building in Jalan Burma here yesterday. </p>
<p>Under the law, employers who fail to remit their workers’ contributions
or to register their employees face a maximum fine of RM10,000. They are also
liable to be jailed up to two years, or both. </p>
<p>Dr Fong said Socso was working closely with the Registrar of Companies (ROC)
to check on new companies. </p>
<p>On another matter, he said five industrial training institutes would be set
up to train workers to meet the needs of the business and industrial sectors
under the 9th Malaysia Plan. </p>
<p>The move was to reduce the number of foreign workers, he said. </p>
<p>There are now 1.5 million foreign workers in the country. </p>
<p>The five-storey Socso building is scheduled to be ready by May 2007.
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