Abuse of migrant workers will tarnish Malaysia’s image

Cases of abuse of foreign workers and the convictions of perpetrators are not new in Malaysia.

We have probably lost count of the number of such cases over the years. 

But thanks to the efficient efforts of the Indonesian government under President Joko Widodo, Indonesian workers coming to Malaysia now have a reliable means of redress. 

Unfortunately, the migrant workers from other neighbouring countries do not have such an avenue for redress.

In a recent case, an abused Indonesian maid was not paid for 15 months. Her employers had even physically tortured her, the evidence of which could be seen in the burn scars all over her body. 

Also alarming was the fact that, as Indonesian ambassador Hermon stated, the worker had entered Malaysia in February last year, when the borders of both countries were still closed.

This incident is no longer just an ‘isolated incident’. It is about time we admitted that cases of abuse of migrant workers are getting too frequent. It is something totally unacceptable.

In Malaysia, some employers are inclined to exploit and abuse their migrant workers. The litany of sins against these workers is endless: unpaid salaries, salaries in arrears, amounts unfairly deducted from salaries, workers being forced to extend their hours of work.

Then we have the denial of rest days, the withholding of workers’ passports, physical abuse and the profiteering when employers force their workers to foot the exorbitant visa renewal fees.  

NGOs like Tenaganita should be able to fill us in with more instances of such abuse of helpless migrant workers. 

But despite all the media exposes and convictions in the courts, some employers and their agents continue to abuse foreign workers. If you think about it, this is an illogical trend, especially when some have claimed that any shortage of workers will seriously impede Malaysia’s development plans.

Hermono said the latest case had once again received media attention in Jakarta. It has also gone viral on social media there, with many angry netizens condemning Malaysian employers and the authorities.

It is time for an overhaul. Only a positive image of our people and how we treat migrant workers will bring us sustainable prosperity. 

In this regard, the Malaysia Madani (Civil Malaysia) core values are most appropriate and timely.

Unfortunately, traction for such values is sorely missing in the business sectors of Malaysia. 

Even the reputation of the Ministry of Human Resources under Anwar Ibrahim’s “unity government” is severely blemished with tales of allegedly corrupt dealings surrounding the recruitment of migrant labour. 

We cannot go on allowing the same kinds of abuse to occur again and again. It is time we had clear transparent policies for recruitment, the continual monitoring of migrant workers and severe punitive measures to stop exploitative and abusive practices.

It is time we called a spade a spade and took collective responsibility. 

The views expressed in Aliran's media statements and the NGO statements we have endorsed reflect Aliran's official stand. Views and opinions expressed in other pieces published here do not necessarily reflect Aliran's official position.

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