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?
(PRESS STATEMENT)
17 JUNE 2008
STOP RELYING ON FOREIGN LABOUR
“With two million documented foreign workers and countless illegals, employers have clearly become too reliant on foreign labour, Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said”.
As reported June 16, 2008
MTUC wholeheartedly welcomes Home Minister’s proposal to reduce dependency on foreign labour.
MTUC has repeatedly stressed the need to determine the labour market requirements and availability of Malaysians before approving application to recruit foreign workers.
We believe that the immigration authorities who are vested with powers to approve foreign worker recruitment application often bypass the Human Resources Ministry. In fact the Immigration Department, for reasons best known to them, has loosened tight recruitment procedures originally set.
Since 2006 Immigration Department have issued licenses to more than 200 labour suppliers to bring in workers to be hired out to companies for a fee. These labour suppliers make huge profits out of the hard labour of foreign workers: They keep more than 50% of the hiring fee for themselves and very often they do not pay even the daily wage for as long as two to three months.
How do the labour suppliers prove to the Immigration Department that all the foreign workers brought in will have a job to go to? Experience shows that very often the workers brought in do not have a job immediately in the industry for which they got approval.
MTUC urge Human Resources Minister to take advantage of the positive approach of Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar and remove all labour suppliers immediately.
MTUC wants to meet with Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar to discuss their concern.
G. RAJASEKARAN
Secretary General
Address: Wisma MTUC,10-5, Jalan USJ 9/5T, 47620 Subang Jaya,Selangor | Tel: 03-80242953 | Fax: 03-80243225 | Email: sgmtuc@gmail.com.com