Govt to launch action plan on forced labour in November

 

The Human Resources Ministry will launch a national action plan to address the issue of forced labour practice in the country next month, said its minister M Saravanan.

This comes after another major surgical gloves manufacturer based in the country was slapped with an import ban by the US, following an investigation that revealed forced labour indicators in the company and its subsidiaries.

In a statement today, Saravanan said he viewed the action by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) against Supermax Corporation seriously, saying that the issue of forced labour has tarnished the image of the country's gloves manufacturing industry and as the world's biggest gloves exporter.

"The issue of forced labour in the manufacturing of latex gloves started to be linked to local companies in September 2019. Until today, a total of three local companies have been slapped with import bans, but the orders have since been withdrawn, in March and September 2020.

"My ministry and I will give our focus on this issue. Thus, I will launch a 'National Action Plan on Forced Labour' next month.

"This plan will have four strategic goals covering awareness, enforcement, labour migration and also access to remedies and protection for victims," he said.

Cooperation from all parties needed

Saravanan stressed that the government needs cooperation from all parties, saying that it is the most important element to increase public awareness on the issue of forced labour.

"This issue has given a bad name to the country's gloves manufacturing industry. Malaysia is the biggest exporter in this industry, covering 60 percent of the global market. This sector is also contributing 51.1 percent of the country's total exports," he added.

Yesterday, it was reported that the US CBP has barred imports from Supermax Corp and its subsidiaries over alleged forced labour practices in the company.

The authority said that it has found 10 of the 11 forced labour indicators in Supermax during the course of the investigation.

Following this, Supermax said in a filing to Bursa Malaysia that its representatives in the US were currently in touch with US CBP to obtain more information on the Withhold Release Order (WRO) issued and the required measures going forward. - Mkini