Santiago: Expose on exploitation of migrant workers ‘heartbreaking’

santiago

PETALING JAYA: The recent expose by a UK daily about migrants being exploited in Malaysia is not surprising as such practices were highlighted two years ago, said DAP lawmaker Charles Santiago.

The Klang MP cited a 2014 report by Verite, an international non-profit organisation specialising in labour issues, which released a report on the presence of forced labour in Malaysia’s electronics industry.

“Two years on and the problem has not been solved,” he told FMT.

The Guardian recently highlighted the plight of the foreign workers of Samsung and Panasonic in Malaysia who claimed their passports were confiscated and that they were denied rest, including toilet breaks, in order to earn enough to settle their recruitment fees.

According to The Guardian, both companies had launched investigations into the allegations and had said they do not allow the confiscation of passports or charging foreign workers recruitment fees.

Santiago, in commenting on The Guardian’s expose, said the authorities only needed to do their job and enforce the law to ensure exploitation did not occur.

“The government just has to go after those who have been exploiting the workers and take action against them to the fullest extent of the law.

“If this does not happen, then people will not be deterred from mistreating foreign workers.”

He also said organisations must ensure the labour supply companies they used complied with local laws and International Labour Organisation (ILO) core standards.

“This means you must give foreign workers at least one day’s rest per week and you cannot withhold their passports.”

Santiago said more than 100 labour supply companies were allowed to bring migrant workers into Malaysia but the home ministry had said it was reducing this number.

“We should further limit the number of companies allowed to bring in migrant labour to ensure better compliance of standards and ease of monitoring.”

Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) secretary-general N Gopal Kishnam said MTUC had raised the issue of forced labour numerous times, yet it remained a problem.

“It is really sad and frustrating that in this day and age, ‘slavery’ still exists. The fundamental rights of workers must be protected.”

He added that the authorities must enforce the law, adding that there were sufficient laws in place to address the issue.

“If the labour departments go hard on a few labour supply companies, others will be afraid to break the law.”