Sivakumar pledges action on plight of stranded Bangladeshi workers

 

Cases of Bangladeshi workers abandoned by their companies and housed under crowded conditions have been regularly reported in recent months.

KUALA LUMPUR: The human resources ministry will conduct nationwide operations following a letter by a migrant rights activist to the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), regarding the plight of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia.

Minister V Sivakumar said the move was to ensure no foreign workers are caught in debt bondage or housed in unfavourable conditions, as alleged in the letter.

“I view this matter seriously as I want to prevent actions outside of the law.

“We want to avoid forced labour occurring in this country,” he said after attending the third series of the ministry’s Jelajah Madani in Gombak today.

Sivakumar was commenting on activist Andy Hall writing a letter to OHCHR, a body under the UN Human Rights Council in Switzerland, alleging that hundreds of Bangladeshi workers were struggling in debt bondage and without jobs in this country.

On the issue of Malaysians often duped by job scams abroad, Sivakumar said his ministry would continue providing information to youths to ensure they do not fall for the empty promises of work agents promising lucrative salaries abroad.

He said his ministry, through Talent Corporation Malaysia Bhd (TalentCorp), will ensure students about to enter the job market know about the jobs available in this country.

The ministry is also creating more opportunities for technical and vocational education and training (TVET) so that youths do not need to depend on jobs in foreign countries.

Sivakumar said that applications for admission to 1,334 TVET institutions nationwide for the January 2024 session were open until Nov 13.

“I hope youths seize this opportunity to venture into TVET because the courses offered are tailored to the needs of the labour market, thus guaranteeing employment after the training period.”

Regarding the Jelajah Madani programme today, Sivakumar said more than 1,000 employment opportunities were offered to job seekers through 10 employers at the carnival. - FMT