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?
Deputy
Home Minister Datuk Tan Chai Ho said it was an irresponsible statement coming
from a top UN official.
<P>The official, Jorge Bustamante, was reported yester
– day as saying that more than a million Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia
faced serious abuses ranging from beatings and rape to forced labour. He said
most were women and children.</P><P>Tan said Malaysia has not received any report
from any party regarding the ill treatment of Indonesian migrant workers. “Certainly
we would investigate and take the necessary action if such a thing was taking
place here. We are not cruel people.” Bustamante said, “a chain of vulnerability
from migrants leads to very serious violations of human rights such aswomen being
beaten and raped and migrants being whipped in prison”.</P><P>“If there
is such a claim the UN must support it with evidence.</P><P>Where is the evidence?
Where did they get the information from? We would be grateful if the UN official
could furnish us with evidence if there is any,” he said.</P><P>Tan said
the Indonesian Embassy would have got in touch with Malaysian authorities if there
was abuse on such a large scale as claimed by the UN official.</P><P>He, however,
did not deny that therewere one or two isolated cases of mistreatment, such as
the abuse of housemaid Nirmala Bonat. “Even then we have the laws to act
on such abuses,” he said.</P><P>“Bustamante cannot issue a general statement
based on one or two isolated cases.” Tan contended that legal Indonesian
workers had a good life here. “We detain the illegals and send them back
as soon as their cases are heard in court.” Since January, RM2.88 million
had been spent on air tickets and RM4.5 million on ferry fares to repatriate 30,158
illegals.</P><P>“This cost does not include meals while they were in detention.”
Amnesty International Malaysia executive director Josef Roy Benedict said the
organisation had raised similar concerns regarding migrant workers with the government.</P><P>He
said Amnesty was against several measures taken by the authorities against illegal
immigrants.
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