THE exploitation of migrant workers in Malaysia has been a long-standing issue. Over the years the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) has received numerous complaints on the alleged human rights violations faced by migrant workers.
The complaints were related to forced labour, human trafficking, unpaid wages, withholding of identification documents, delays in the renewal of work permits, unlawful dismissal, alleged mistreatment and death at workplace among others.
Nevertheless, issues faced by migrant workers are always swept under the rug and migrant workers continues to swamp the country taking up 3D jobs – dirty, dangerous and difficult – which the locals are not interested in.
In July this year, the Ministry of Human Resources has indicated that there are approximately 2.1 million documented migrant workers in the country. However, there is no clear data on the number of undocumented migrant workers in the country.
The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the vulnerability of the migrant workers, especially those who are undocumented.
Many migrant works lost their jobs and income and in turned faced challenges in accessing healthcare, food and other necessities. They are also not eligible to receive Government assistance and aid as these are only provided for citizens.
What make things even worse is the living condition of migrant workers. Most of the migrant workers live in kongsi house where in some cases there were around 40-80 other occupants in one house, and such crowded living condition has put them at a higher risk of COVID-19 infection.
While the Government has provided free health screening for migrant workers, most undocumented migrant workers are still reluctant to come forward to undergo the medical treatment due to the ingrained fear of being arrested by the authorities.
In commemorating the International Migrants Day which falls on December 18 every year, the SUHAKAM would like to reiterate its call for the Government and business entities to promote and protect the rights of migrant workers in the country in line with the international human rights standards.
Recently, SUHAKAM has adopted its 2021-2025 Strategic Plan and one of the strategic objectives in the strategic plan is to advance the economic, social and cultural rights (ESCR) of the vulnerable groups in Malaysia, including migrant workers.
Under the Strategic Plan, SUHAKAM will undertake a number of activities including the review of the relevant laws, research and promotional activities to increase the public’s awareness on ESCR issues affecting the vulnerable groups in the country. – Dec 18, 2020
