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?
An official from the Malaysian Centre for Services and Counselling for Foreign
Workers (PPKPA) who had helped bring to light the workers’ ordeal confirmed
that the five have gone missing since last Thursday.
<p>PPKPA workers’ social and welfare bureau chief Rafidah Ahmad said the
five workers’ colleagues had claimed an agent had visited them at the hostel
in Jalan Gelang Emas five days after their suffering was highlighted by the
New Straits Times.</p>
<p>"The workers told us that the agent came to the hostel and told the four
whose pictures were published, to follow him. That was the last time they were
seen.</p>
<p>"The other worker had gone to lodge complaints at the Bangladeshi High
Commission (in Kuala Lumpur). He, has also gone missing.</p>
<p>"It has been several days since the workers mysteriously vanished into
thin air.</p>
<p>"The Bangladeshi High Commission has been informed and they are investigating
the matter," she said.</p>
<p>Police reports have also been lodged regarding their disappearance.</p>
<p>The PPKPA had contacted the agent regarding the matter, but he denied knowing
the workers’ whereabouts.</p>
<p>"The agent also claimed he has made a police report and informed the high
commission about the disappearances," said Rafidah.</p>
<p>In a recent report, the NST had published photos of four of the five workers
squatting and eating rotten rice and leftovers in the compound of the hostel
where they lived.</p>
<p>One of them, Al-Amin, claimed they were held captive in a house in Port Klang
for a month when they first entered the country in April.</p>
<p>There, he claimed, they were starved, fed only on scraps of food from a neighbouring
restaurant, before being brought to Gelang Patah where they suffered beatings,
more starvation and were forced to work for a pittance at an electronics factory.</p>
<p>After the story was published and the PPKPA intervened, said Rafidah, the firm
promised to pay RM150 to each worker and the rest of the RM720 owed to the workers
by July 5.</p>
<p><b>Related stories:<br>
<a href="http://www.labourcentre.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=888">Starved,
beaten and forced to work for pittance</a></b> (2007/06/19)<b><br>
<a href="http://www.labourcentre.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=939">Workers
were not maltreated</a></b> (2007/06/28)
<p><i>Source: http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Tuesday/National/20070626083519/Article</i>
Address: Wisma MTUC,10-5, Jalan USJ 9/5T, 47620 Subang Jaya,Selangor | Tel: 03-80242953 | Fax: 03-80243225 | Email: sgmtuc@gmail.com.com