Free maids from law that allows slave-like conditions, says group

 

Malaysian labour law can put domestic workers in conditions of forced labour, according to a coalition of support groups.

PETALING JAYA: Supporters of domestic workers have urged the government to remove provisions in the labour law that can lead to maids facing slave-like working conditions.

A spokesman for the Ke Arah 189 coalition said some sections of the Employment Act allowed domestic helpers to be exempted from following stipulated hours of work, and from entitlement to overtime compensation, weekly rest days and holidays, medical and maternity leave.

“As such, it allows for systemic abuse of these employees,” said Irene Xavier of the coalition. She said domestic workers could be pushed into serving under conditions of forced labour despite Malaysia having ratified an international convention against forced labour.

She urged human resources minister V Sivakumar to immediately remove these conditions. Failure to do so would signal a lack of political will by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government, she said.

Bar Council president Karen Cheah urged the government to accede to various international conventions on migrant workers and their families, and on domestic workers.

She also called upon the government to grant the undocumented migrant workers the right to file cases at the labour court.

The government was also urged to make public a report by an independent committee on foreign workers and implement its recommendations.

The report was prepared by a committee formed by the Pakatan Harapan government in 2019. - FMT