YOURSAY | ‘Migrant workers are vulnerable, so what’s HR minister doing to protect them?’Minister lauds ‘superhero’ lawyers who won RM760k for migrant workers
Govt ‘recalcitrant’ on migrant protection laws – lawyer
MarioT: Foreign workers come to work in our labour-intensive industries that most locals shun.
Instead of being treated fairly, they are exploited and abused just because our labour laws governing these foreign workers are weak and manipulative.
It is tantamount to modern-day slavery.
Imagine these capitalistic industries without these workers to run their businesses? The effect is twofold.
One, the economy suffers with the industries having to stop their production, and the other is our dependence on foreign goods.
Lawyers Joachim Xavier and Sahain Nada Puthucheary have taken the task of fighting for the rights of these oppressed workers and exposed the weaknesses of our laws to protect them.
It is time the labour ministry looks into tightening the laws against the exploitation and abuse of foreign workers.
Both of these lawyers should be commended for fighting for the oppressed who otherwise have no recourse. It is indeed a painstaking job going against the strong currents.
KK Voter: Sahain and Xavier did a great job.
Human Resources Minister Steven Sim said the court ruling vindicated the ministry’s position on when foreign workers start getting paid – from the day they arrive.
So the question is – is the “ministry’s position” an official legal position codified in the Act, or merely a moral stance?
If it is an official, legislated position, then as soon as the issue was reported, the ministry should have been able to compel the company to pay or shut down, without having to go through two years of court battles.
If the lawyers did a good job and the legislation is clear, then it’s obvious there is either gross inefficiency or corruption that needs to be rooted out – and that is the minister’s responsibility.
WhitePony9855: The government, too, must be fair to employers (the bona fide ones).
Upon arrival, foreign workers must go through Foreign Workers Medical Examination (Fomema) medical checks before the Immigration Department issues the work permits. This process can take two to four weeks.
Is the human resources minister confirming that the new foreign workers can start work immediately before the work permit is issued?
How about those who work in restricted areas or other people’s factories?
These establishments will not allow foreign workers without a work permit to enter their premises for fear of repercussions from the enforcement authorities.
The government must be clear on this matter.
Sam Loges: Sim just took credit for (what the lawyers had done), doing next to nothing.
Has that ministry done anything so far about news on foreign labourers being discriminated against and scammed by agents?
How did so many foreign labourers manage to enter Bolehland without job offers? And they had paid so much for the agents with empty promises. Ini semua budak kita ke? (Is this our boy’s doing?)
MS: Sim, don’t just stop at lauding these lawyers’ efforts. What exactly are you doing to bring the scammers to justice, and also what have you done by way of preventive measures since this scandal came to light?
Lauding is so easy after lawyers working pro bono have cleaned the mess enabled by your ministry.
Coward: @MS, agreed. I want to know what the human resources ministry has done for all the workers involved once they knew about it, and also what steps the minister has taken to rescue others in the same situation and to prevent this from happening again.
Migrant workers are vulnerable, so what is the minister doing to protect them?
Lionking: It is the responsibility of your ministry to ensure that foreign workers are not brought in without jobs. How did they manage to do that?
Of course, somebody must have earned big bucks to allow such a shameful event. Take action against such companies and name the owners.
Darmakochi: My heartfelt thanks to these lawyers for helping these foreign workers get the payment due to them.
A foreign worker is here because of an unfavourable situation in their country of origin.
The agencies that got our government permission to bring them here must pay what is due to them.
The relevant government agencies must get direct, regular input from these workers and act accordingly.
Dr Suresh Kumar: Well done, Xavier and Sahain. There are just too many unscrupulous agents and employers taking advantage of the poor migrant workers.
This has been going on for decades. Workers suffer, cronies profit, and the government looks the other way.
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