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?
THE Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC) wants the Government to be in charge of the employment of foreign workers so that they will be protected, Malaysia Nanban reported.
Its president Khalid Atan said using agents and outsourcing agencies were causing problems and tarnishing the country’s image, especially when the workers were being exploited.
At a press conference in Subang, he said some middlemen were making excessive profits from the foreign workers.
He said that sometimes, the rights of these workers were not respected while some had their work permits abruptly terminated.
Khalid added that some workers were forced to work long hours while some were not even paid.
> Makkal Osai reported that a woman in Patna, north India, sold her two-month-old daughter for Rs5,000 (RM284) to a neighbour to pay for her husband’s medical treatment.
Shama Parveen, a mother of three sons from Isopur village, said that poverty forced her to sell her daughter Nazia to a woman to raise money for her husband’s stomach surgery.
She said it was a difficult decision but she had no other choice.
Source: The Star Online
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