Ex-MP moots RM50,000 fine for duping foreign workers over jobs

 

Migrant rights activist Adrian Pereira says workers are being brought in when jobs are not available, which constitutes human trafficking. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Former MP Charles Santiago has supported a minister’s idea to fine companies for breaking their promise to give jobs to foreign workers, adding that the fine should be at least RM50,000 for each duped worker.

He said the RM50,000 sum would include the cost of a migrant worker’s return flight, loss of pay and recruitment fees to agents back in their home country.

Plantation and commodities minister Johari Ghani had said that companies that deceive foreign workers with jobs and leave them in the lurch should pay a fine of RM20,000 to RM30,000.

This came after 171 Bangladeshis were arrested last month, after marching to report their agents for not securing promised jobs.

“Johari’s call is important,” Santiago told FMT.

“He is preparing the industry to face challenges in the coming years, as Europe and America ramp up their forced labour protocols.

“This means if you are found to have violated forced labour indicators, your products will face product sanctions entering Europe, the US, Canada and Mexico. This would spell disaster for an exporting country such as ours.

“If we cannot resolve this, we should put a moratorium on bringing in foreign workers, especially Bangladeshis. We have too many of them coming in but with no jobs.”

Lawyer M Ramachelvam said that beyond fines, there must be an efficient blacklisting system where offenders are prevented from hiring foreign workers again.

“There should be sanctions on the companies, and their shareholders and directors. There should also be an audit to identify nominees of offending parties to ensure that they are also put on a watchlist,” he said.

He said the government should pay attention to how agents in the host country of these workers are defrauding those wanting to work in Malaysia.

“Huge sums of money are being collected by these agents, especially in Bangladesh,” said Ramachelvam, the migrants, refugees and immigration affairs committee co-chair of the Bar.

Migrant rights activist Adrian Pereira said fines might be an obvious deterrent but might also give rise to bribery.

“There will be employers paying bribes to escape. What needs to be done is, we enforce labour inspections that are competent to weed out forced labour,” the North-South Initiative executive director said.

“These workers are being brought in when jobs are not available, which is human trafficking. Go after the masterminds.”

Pereira said the entire foreign workers hiring system should operate under a separate agency under the Prime Minister’s Office, but monitored by an independent ombudsman.

He said the present foreign workers central management system, where all foreign worker applications are handled online by a private company, should be managed by the new agency.

“The independent ombudsman committee under this new agency will ensure there is no abuse, no so-called special approvals, and private hands should be involved.

“Organisations or ministries with possible conflicts of interest shouldn’t be involved,” he said. - FMT