PETALING JAYA: The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) has identified several areas of concern relating to allegations of forced labour in plantations and companies.
Commissioner Jerald Joseph said they had started monitoring several plantations and companies since 2021 to verify allegations of unsatisfactory living and work environments and ambiguous labour recruitment.
“From our initial findings, we determined that employers have been withholding the passports of their workers, claiming it was for safety reasons.
“Some workers were forced to pay high fees before coming into Malaysia,” he said today during a press conference.
He added that some workers were expected to work overtime, sometimes seven days a week, because employers were short-staffed.
As an initial recommendation, Joseph suggested that the government ensure the process of bringing in migrant workers does not involve agents or middlemen.
“Some countries use a seamless end-to-end online system which is more accessible and transparent.
“I think the human resources ministry and immigration department are already looking into implementing this.”
He said middlemen and agents were unnecessary and always charged high fees which can be burdensome for workers coming into the country.
“If at all, middlemen are involved, a reasonable fee structure should be put in place.”
Joseph also recommended the government ensure strict enforcement of employers who fail to provide appropriate living conditions for their workers.
“Suhakam takes allegations of forced labour seriously and will continue to monitor these plantations and production companies.”
He also said the best way for the government to protect migrant workers was by making reports and documents regarding migrant workers public.
“These documents should not be kept hidden from the public. If it is made public, Suhakam can use them to help monitor and implement the relevant frameworks effectively.” - FMT
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