86 foreign workers living in poor conditions rescued by labour dept in Perak
Published on: Monday, December 11, 2023
By: FMT
Some of the workers rounded up in Meru, Ipoh, today. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA: A total of 86 foreign workers living in harsh conditions and abandoned without jobs were picked up in three separate operations in Ipoh, Manjung and Tapah this morning.
Department of labour Peninsular Malaysia (JTKSM) director-general Kamal Pardi told Bernama these operations were conducted to take care of the well-being of foreign workers in the country.
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These were also undertaken to refute international allegations that Malaysia practises forced labour.
In the first operation, 52 workers from Bangladesh, Myanmar and Indonesia were inspected in Ipoh.
Only seven had refugee cards from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), while the other 14 had no valid travel or work documents.
In the second and third operations in Manjung and Tapah, 17 foreign workers were rescued.
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“They were employed for construction work in Meru Raya over the past two weeks.
“However, the employer did not provide jobs and left them without any source of income,” he said after the operations.
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Kamal said their inspections showed employers had violated the Workers’ Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Act 446).
The workers were accommodated in cramped spaces and forced to sleep on rubber mats as no beds or mattresses were made available.
Kamal said JTKSM would not compromise with employers treating employees this way as this could lead to allegations of forced labour and tarnish the country’s image.
“We want employers in all sectors to fulfil their responsibilities. They must ensure proper job placement and provide decent accommodation for foreign workers,” he said.
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