SIME Darby Plantation Bhd (SDP) emphasised that the welfare of its workers is of paramount importance and it has taken all necessary steps to find equitable solutions amid the unprecedented circumstances and the challenges at present.
In a statement today, SDP said it has been working closely with relevant authorities to find ways to facilitate, and wherever possible, to expedite the repatriation exercise of its workers.
Since July 2020, the plantation company has successfully repatriated 1125 foreign workers, mainly from Indonesia, India, Bangladesh and Nepal, from its operations all over Malaysia.
“The welfare of our workers is our top priority, even when they are returning home. We will always respect their rights and ensure that they are able to return home safely, regardless of the circumstances.
“As a token of our appreciation, we had also arranged for those workers who had been with us for over 10 years to travel on business class seats,” said SDP group managing director Helmy Othman Basha.
Most recently, SDP has also successfully sent 149 of its estate workers back to Kolkata, India, on a specially chartered flight.
As Indian borders remain restricted, the company said it had worked in partnership with various agencies including Malaysia Airlines, the Malaysian Immigration Department, the Indian Embassy, authorities at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport as well as authorities in India, to facilitate the repatriation exercise.
SDP bore the cost of the entire exercise, it added.
The company said it had adhered to guidelines set by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), as all of its workers underwent the compulsory COVID-19 tests and the authorities were notified of the results within 72 hours before departure.
It added that the Immigration Department began allowing foreign workers to be repatriated in July this year.
“While some of SDP’s workers have opted to continue working with the company, this has always been a personal choice, without any compulsion or coercion to do so,” it said.
The company noted that all of its foreign workers were appointed through a contract which provides a fixed term of employment and allows them to return to their home countries once their contracts have ended.
“The contract also provided an option for their employment to be extended yearly, up to a maximum of 10 years, subject to mutual agreement between SDP and the worker, as well as approval by the Immigration Department.
“In the meantime, migrant workers whose permits have expired and are waiting to return home will continue to live on SDP’s estates with free housing and subsidised utilities, while the company works to secure safe and efficient passage back to their home countries,” it added.
