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?
In fact, the seven deaths per 100,000 Malaysian workers is more than double
the International Labour Organisation’s ratio of three per 100,000.
<p>This places it almost at the centre of the spectrum, with high-end countries
like Japan and the United States at 4.1 deaths per 100,000 and 4.6 deaths per
100,000 respectively, and low-end countries like Philippines and Thailand with
14 deaths per 100,000.</p>
<p>Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn, clearly unhappy with
the statistics, wants to reduce the death rate to 3.5 per 100,000 workers by
2010.</p>
<p>"I further want Malaysia to become one of the safest places to work in
the second decade of the 21st century," he said.</p>
<p>He hopes to do this by ensuring that employers and employees stick strictly
to the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) regulatory framework based on ILO
guidelines.</p>
<p>"The current figures are unacceptable. Our figure is double the ILO ratio.
We need to bring our worker death rate down by half by 2010."</p>
<p>Dr Fong said the focus would be on vulnerable sectors, including wood, construction,
explosives, gas and chemicals.</p>
<p>"We will also implement this in other sectors where workers are exposed
to hazardous waste and chemicals."</p>
<p>The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognises the right of all
people to just and favourable conditions of work.</p>
<p>Yet, it is estimated that workers suffer 250 million accidents every year,
with 330,000 fatalities, 160 million cases of occupational diseases and an even
higher number of threats to workers’ physical and mental well-being, causing
further suffering.</p>
<p>An occupational fatality is any fatal event that occurs at work with the victim
being either an employer, employee, self-employed person, farmer or family member
helping with business.</p>
<p>Dr Fong said the Government wanted to make OSH a mandatory expenditure in contracts
and awards to further reduce the ratio.</p>
<p>He said Employment Strategies for Decent Work Country Programmes (DWCPs) was
the best concept and approach to be undertaken by countries to overcome challenges
facing the country and the global economy.</p>
<p>He said Malaysia noted that OSH had become a core element of the ILO’s
Decent Work Agenda in recent years.</p>
<p>"Malaysia supports this as Malaysian workers and their families, like
all others around the world, deserve a safe working environment."
Address: Wisma MTUC,10-5, Jalan USJ 9/5T, 47620 Subang Jaya,Selangor | Tel: 03-80242953 | Fax: 03-80243225 | Email: sgmtuc@gmail.com.com