Still no jobs after 1 month

 

From Charles Santiago

Note: This is Part 3 of an account of modern-day slavery, forced labour and abuse perpetrated against a group of migrant workers from Bangladesh. Part 1 and Part 2 were published last week.

After reluctantly moving to the new location, Ahmed and his friends found that it was worse than the first.

The workers were randomly chosen, where 10 to 12 of them were put into a room that was rented in apartment units occupied by Malaysian families.

There were five such rooms scattered throughout the apartment blocks.

One of the workers, aged 36 or 37, suffered a heart attack, and his friends took him to a nearby hospital after Ravi and Derek refused to act. He was given medicines and brought back to the room.

He then became desperate to return home to his family, but Ravi and Derek told him that he must pay for his own ticket.

Ahmed and his friends managed to pool some money and borrowed the difference to buy him a flight ticket home.

It has now been over a month since they have been waiting for a job at the third location.

The group consists of 34 people currently. Ravi and Derek keep dividing and relocating the workers to prevent them from sharing information with each other.

They are given pre-packaged food, which Ahmed and his workers pick up from a restaurant downstairs.

Derek pays for the meals. This is where I met Ahmed and his friends as well.

“Living among us is another Bangladeshi man who acts as an informer to Derek.

“He told us that the real reason we haven’t been given a job is because companies that want workers aren’t giving Derek a good commission. Once he secures a good deal, we will finally be employed,” Ahmed said, staring absently into a wall.

Then he said: “Are we animals? Or mere bodies to be bought and sold and profiteered from?”

Ahmed said the 20 workers who were sent to Penang were not only forced to do hard labour but also not paid. “Derek told them the daily wage is RM100, out of which he will give them RM80. But they are not paid at all. After a month of work, he relocated the workers.”

Ahmed and his friends are currently being held as bonded slaves. “Derek said we need to pay him RM7,000 to get our passports back. And every week we delay, the price goes up by another RM1,000,” Ahmed said.

Derek also told them that for another RM4,500, they can renew their visas which will expire at the end of the year. Or face the consequences of becoming undocumented and working illegally, an option that opens them up to arrest and detention by authorities. - FMT

Charles Santiago is former MP for Klang and an FMT reader.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.