Health care, urgent need in Malaysian detention camps (Mizzima, 29/5/2009)

Health care, urgent need in Malaysian detention camps

by Ko Wild, Friday, 29 May 2009 20:50

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – Detention camps in Malaysia urgently need regular health care service and preventive measures, a joint action group working for migrant workers in Malaysia said today.

Because of poor health care in the Juru Immigration detention camp, two Burmese nationals died on May 12 and 17 respectively. The ‘Network of Action for Migrant in Malaysia’ (NAMM) issued a statement based on the deaths.

The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia must probe the deaths and release the findings. They must also include their recommendations in the report for the betterment of health care and sanitation in all the detention camps,” Pranom Somwong, liaison and relation officer of NAMM told Mizzima.

At least 500 Burmese are being held in this camp. They are suffering from diseases transmitted by Leptospirosis found in animal waste. Thang Hoih Ping (21) and Sa La Hin (26) died of these diseases.

The ‘Global Joint Statement’ was released yesterday on this issue by 124 international organizations, most of them Burmese lobby groups.

In the joint statement, they demanded that the Malaysian government and those responsible for the deaths pay compensation to the families of the dead.

The statement also demanded that the government expose and take action against persons responsible for the deaths in accordance with criminal law and hand out due punishment to them.

Ms. Pranam Somwong, also spokesperson of the NAMM, said that they also sent official letters to the Public Health Department, Immigration Department and Home Department besides the Malaysian government to carry out improved work on sanitation and health care services in all the detention camps across the country.

Moreover, the militia-style armed group RELA has more powers than the police force in these immigration detention camps thanks to the government’s policy and resolutions. They have sweeping powers for arresting and searching any suspect at anyplace and at anytime. But they are not trained personnel, she said.

They have demanded a probe to find out whether RELA is involved in these deaths or not, she added.

The joint statement of 124 international organizations released yesterday also demanded regular inspection and supervision of the quality of food and drinking water being provided in these camps.

There were 1,300 custodial deaths of illegal aliens in Malaysian detention camps in the last six years. Most of the cases occurred in Immigration detention camps, the 18 December 2008 issue of the Star daily paper reported quoting Datuk Nl. Siva Subramaniam, Chief of Human Rights Commission of Malaysia.

Source: Mizzima Website

Migrant worker's body flown home (The Jakarta Post, 29/5/200()

Migrant worker's body flown home

Suherdjoko and Agus Maryono , The Jakarta Post , Kendal, Purwokerto | Fri, 05/29/2009 11:50 AM |

The body of a migrant worker working in Malaysia has been sent home to Kendal, Central Java, and buried on Wednesday.

Kartini, 33, is believed to have died from physical abuse suffered at the hands of her employers.

She is survived by her husband, Sampur, 35, and two children, Setyowati, 13, and M. Nurochim, 11.

Sampur said he received news of Kartini's death on May 23 from her recruitment agency, which said a female migrant worker from Surkonto Wetan village, Pageruyung district in Kendal, working in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia, was found dead at her employers' home.

Kartini had worked for a new employer for only two months, having left for Malaysia in 2007. It is suspected she was beaten to death by her employer's wife and children.

Family members who opened the casket said they saw bruises on her forehead, right eye and back, similar to those sustained from being hit with hard objects.

"We demand the perpetrators be stiffly punished," Sampur said.

Consulate secretary at the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Susapto Anggoro Broto, accompanied Kartini's body home.

"We're working with the Malaysian police on the case," he said.

The police have detained the wife and children of Kartini's employer and named them suspects.

Kartini's family received Rp 45 million (US$4,300) in compensation - Rp 15 million from recruitment agency PT Sekar Tanjung Lestari, Rp 1 million from the Central Java administration, and Rp 27.15 million in back pay.

Meanwhile Susapto said 328 Indonesians, mostly migrant workers, in Malaysia were at risk of being sentenced to death for various crimes.

"They are involved in drug-related cases, premeditated murder and other serious crimes," he said Thursday during a seminar themed "Advocating problematic Indonesian migrant workers overseas", held at Jenderal Soedirman University's Law School.

He added the embassy would do its best to help them, by providing lawyers and through government-level approaches.

The embassy has formed a task force to protect migrant workers.

Susapto said the chances for lenient sentences were good because of Malaysia's five-level court system.

"However, the legal process can be quite long," he said, adding the embassy handled 1,000 cases a year, ranging from unpaid salaries and ill treatment, to sexual harassment and physical abuse.

"We get up to four reports a day.

"In 2008, we resolved 854 cases and salvaged Rp 3.5 billion in unpaid migrant workers' salaries."

He added the large amount of cases stemmed from the huge number of Indonesian migrants, including illegal ones.

Data from the Malaysian immigration office lists 1.2 million foreigners, 800,000 of them illegal.

Eighty percent of foreigners in Malaysia are Indonesian, most of whom work in the agricultural, construction and industrial sectors as manual laborers, and as domestic workers.

Source: The Jakarta Post

Malaysia detention centres 'violating rights' (ABC News, 28/5/2009)

Malaysia detention centres 'violating rights'

By Kanaha Sabapathy for Radio Australia (28/5/2009)

The recent deaths of two illegal immigrants in one of Malaysia's many detention centres has raised the issue of the conditions under which detainees are held in the country.

Last year Suhakam, Malaysia's Human Rights Commission, identified medical care as an overriding reason why 1,300 detainees have died over the past six years.

Now two Burmese immigration detainees have died from leptospirosis, a disease caused by exposure to contaminated water.

Dato Siva Subramaniam, a Suhakam commissioner, told Radio Australia's Connect Asia program denial of health care was a violation of detainees' right to life.

"At present the 22 centres throughout Malaysia do not have a permanent clinical dispensary manned by doctors or a medical assistant to help detainees," he said.

"They have a visiting doctor only."

He noted that the 1,300 deaths notified to parliament covered not only immigration detention centres but prisons and police lock-ups.

Nevertheless, "we want improvement", the commissioner said.

He said Suhakam had identified health care and hygiene, including proper water supplies for detainees, as key issues at the centres, which are overseen by immigration officers.

New diseases

"Suhakam wants to ensure there is medical care, that there is a permanent doctor placed, and we want this to be done in every camp," the commissioner said.

With new diseases such as swine flu breaking out in the region, each inmate should undergo a proper medical check before they are put together with other detainees, he said.

Their embassies should also be notified.

Another problem was too many inmates in centres.

"The problem of overcrowding is something we need to be looked seriously at," he said.

Source: ABC News

124 Groups :- Alarmed at state of Detention Places in Malaysia - Leptospirosis kills 2 Burmese migrants

Joint Statement - 23/5/2009 (Updated-28/5/2009) – 124 Organisations/Groups)

DEATH OF 2 BURMESE INDICATIVE OF STATE OF DETENTION PLACES IN MALAYSIA

DENIAL OF HEALTHCARE IS A VIOLATION OF RIGHT TO LIFE

We, the undersigned, are alarmed to hear that Sa La Hin, 26, and Thang Hoih Ping, 21, two Burmese migrants, have died in the Malaysia’s Juru Immigration Detention Centre from Leptospirosis. This is disease that is usually caused by exposure to water contaminated with the urine of infected animals, such as rodents, cattle, pigs, horses, dogs and wild animals. The fact, that 2 persons are dead and others have been infected by this disease, again highlights the state of hygiene, cleanliness and healthcare at Malaysian Detention Centres.

We recall that it was reported in the media in December 2008, that "About 1,300 illegal foreigners have died during detention in the past six years, Malaysia Nanban quoted Malaysian Human Rights (Suhakam) commissioner Datuk N. Siva Subramaniam as saying. He said many of them died in immigration detention centres, prisons and police lockups because they were denied medical treatment at the right time.” [Star, 18/12/2008, ‘1,300 foreign detainees died due to neglect’]. Now, Sa La Hin and Thang Hoih Ping may just be the latest additions to that list of detainees that died due to similar reasons.

We also recall the words of SUHAKAM in their response to the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) dated 13/1/2009, that correctly stated that ‘…SUHAKAM views the denial of medical attention to the point of endangering one’s life as a serious violation of that person’s right to life….’

These deaths may have been avoided if medical attention was provided promptly, and we call for an independent public inquiry to determine whether there was such negligence on the part of the Ikatan Relawan Rakyat or better known as RELA (a People's Volunteer Corps), and the Immigration officers, who are currently responsible for Immigration Detention Centres in Malaysia.

We do appreciate the fact that the Director General of Immigration has now decided that ‘cleanliness and hygiene at immigration depots nationwide are to be stepped-up to ensure safety of staff and inmates there against contracting infectious diseases’ (Bernama, 19/5/2009, Cleanliness, Hygiene at Immigration Depot to Be Stepped Up).

We hope that this is not merely a knee-jerk response, which is temporary in nature, but a new and permanent commitment by Malaysia to improve standards and conditions of Detention Centres and other places of detention.

The current once a week visit by a medical officer to the Detention Centres is certainly inadequate. There should be, at the very least, a permanent clinic/dispensary manned by a medical assistant, with a doctor visiting detainees for several hours at least once every two days or more frequently.

New users of the Detention facility should also be determined free from easily transmittable diseases like Tuberculosis and the A(H1N1) flu before being introduced to the general population of detention places.

There should also be regular visits by the Health Officer, who shall monitor the conditions, including of the living and sleeping environment, of the Detention Centre to ensure that it meets the highest standards of hygiene and cleanliness.

The foods, and all aspects of food preparation, also need to be monitored by the Health Department especially since there is a possibility that the fault in the recent deaths could be the current caterer of food and drink.

With regard to those who have died, we are of the opinion that their family and/or dependents should be given adequate compensation by the persons responsible, the detaining authority and the Malaysian government.

Officers and persons responsible for the acts or omissions that resulted in death and suffering should be charged and prosecuted for these crimes. They should not be permitted to hide behind safeguards provided to public servants and/or the RELA volunteers, which unfortunately only promotes culture of impunity with no sense of responsibility and respect for human life.

We, the undersigned, call on the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (SUHAKAM) to immediately commence a public inquiry into these deaths and detention places generally, and come up with concrete recommendations which could be implemented that will improve state of cleanliness, hygiene and healthcare of all detention places in Malaysia.

We are also call upon the Ministry of Health and the government of Malaysia to take necessary steps to ensure that proper steps be taken to ensure that such disregard for life does not happen again.

We reiterate the call for the abolition of RELA, and restate our position that law enforcement, and management of detention places should be done by professionally trained full-time public servants, not volunteers.

Charles Hector

Pranom Somwong

For and on behalf of the 124 organizations/groups listed below:-

Action for Health Initiatives (ACHIEVE), Inc, Philippines

Action Network for Migrants (ANM), Thailand

All Women's Action Society (AWAM), Malaysia

Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma

Asia Pacific Forum on Women Law and Development (APWLD)

Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM), Hong Kong

Asia-Pacific Solidarity Coalition (APSOC)

Asia Pacific Workers Solidarity Link (APWSL), Korea

Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)

Asian Migrants' Coordinating Body - Hong Kong (AMCB-HK)

Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma)-AAPP

Association of Indonesian Migrant Workers (Asosiasi Tenaga Kerja Indonesia)

Bahrain Center for Human Rights

Bar Council Human Rights Committee, Malaysia

Bar Council's Legal Aid Centre, Malaysia

BAYAN USA

Building and Wood Workers International, Asia Pacific Regional Office

Burma Campaign Australia

Burma Campaign, Malaysia

Burma Campaign UK

Burma Centre Delhi (BCD)

Burma's Nationalities Association (BNA)- Norway

Burma Partnership

Cambodian Women's Crisis Center, Cambodia

Canadian Friends of Burma (CFOB)

CDS (Community Development Services), Sri Lanka

Center for Indonesian Migrant Workers - Indonesia

Center for Migrant Advocacy, Philippines

Center for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC), Malaysia

Centre for Public Policy Studies (CPPS), Malaysia

Chin Human Rights Organization

Civil Society Committee of LLG Cultural Development Centre (LLGCSC) Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach (USA)

Commission For Filipino Migrant Workers (CFMW) - The Netherlands

Committee for Asian Women (CAW)

Coordination of Action Research on AIDS & Mobility (CARAM -Asia)

Democratic Party for a New Society (DPNS), Burma

Development Action for Women Network (DAWN), Philippines

Empower Foundation, Thailand

Ethnic Nationalities Council

Federation of Trade Unions - Burma (FTUB)

FIDH - International Federation for Human Rights

Filipino Migrant Workers' Union - Hong Kong (FMWU)

Forum for Democracy in Burma

Foundation for Education and Development (Formerly, Grassroots HRE (Burma)

Free Burma Coalition - Philippines (FBC-Phils)

Free Burma Campaign, South Africa

Friends of Burma, Malaysia

Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW)

HAKAM - National Human Rights Society, Malaysia

Health Equity Initiatives, Malaysia

H.O.M.E. (Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics), Singapore

Hope Workers’ Center, Taiwan

HRWG - Indonesia's NGO Coalition for International Advocacy

Hsinchu Catholic Diocese Migrants and New Immigrants Service Center, Taiwan

Human Rights Foundation of Monland

IMPARSIAL, the Indonesia Human Rights Monitor, Jakarta – Indonesia

INFID (International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development)

Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID)

Institute for National and Democratic Studies (INDIES)

International Migrant Foundation-Bangladesh

Kachin Women's Association Thailand

KAFIN Migrant Center, Japan

KAFIN - Saitama, Japan

Kayan National Development Foundation (KNDF)

Khmer Kampuchea Krom Human rights Organisation (KKKHRO), Cambodia

Labornet Korea

Labour Resource Centre, Malaysia

Legal Support for Children and Women (LSCW), Cambodia

LHRLA (Lawyers for Human Rights & Legal Aid), Pakistan

MADPET (Malaysians against Death Penalty and Torture)

Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC)

Mekong Migration Network (MMN)

Migrant CARE, Perhimpunan Indonesia untuk Buruh Migran Berdaulat

Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA)

MIGRANTE Europe

MIGRANTE Middle East

MIGRANTE International

MIGRANTE - Nagoya

MIGRANTE - UAE

Mindanao Migrants Center for Empowering Actions, Inc. (MMCEAI)

Myanmar Ethnic Rohingyas Human Rights Organization Malaysia (MERHROM)

National Democratic Party for Human Rights(NDPHR)(exile),SEA Regional Office

National League for Democracy [NLD (LA)], Malaysia

National Institute for Electoral Integrity (NIEI), Malaysia

National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, U.S.

Network for Democracy and Development, Thailand

Network of Action for Migrants in Malaysia (NAMM)

New Zealand Burma Support Group

NY Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines

OKUP (Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Program), Bangladesh

Osan Migrant Workers Center in South Korea

Overseas Mon Coordinating Committee (OMCC)

Pakistan Rural Workers Social Welfare Organization (PRWSWO)

Palaung State Liberation Front (PSLF)

Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR)

Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM)

Peoples Service Organization (PSO), Malaysia

Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangot (EMPOWER)

Persatuan Masyarakat Selangor & Wilayah Persekutuan (PERMAS), Malaysia

Persatuan Sahabat Wanita, Selangor

Platform of Filipino Migrant Organisations in Europe - The Netherlands

POURAKHI, Nepal

Pusat KOMAS, Malaysia

Raks Thai Foundation, Thailand

Rohingya Youth Development Forum (RYDF), Malaysia

Shan Refugee Organization Malaysia (SRO)

Shan Women's Action Network (SWAN)

Shwe Gas Movement

Solidaritas Perempuan, Indonesia

St. John's Cathedral HIV Education Centre, Hong Kong

Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM)

Tenaganita, Malaysia

The Foundation for the Health and Knowledge of Ethnic Labour (MAP)

The Justice, Peace & Solidarity in Mission Office, The Good Shepherd Sisters

The Micah Mandate

Transient Workers Count Too, Singapore

United Filipinos in Hong Kong (UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK)

U.S. Campaign for Burma

WARBE Development Foundation - Bangladesh

Women's Aid Organisation (WAO), Malaysia

Women's League of Burma

Workers Hub for Change (WH4C)

Yaung Chi Oo Workers Association (YCOWA),Thailand

* For further information, please contact Charles Hector (chef@tm.net.my) or Pranom Somwong (Bee) (p_somwong@yahoo.com) at 019-2371 300

Joint Statement by 113 organisations about DEATH OF 2 BURMESE INDICATIVE OF STATE OF DETENTION PLACES IN MALAYSIA

DENIAL OF HEALTHCARE IS A VIOLATION OF RIGHT TO LIFE

We, the undersigned, are alarmed to hear that Sa La Hin, 26, and Thang Hoih Ping, 21, two Burmese migrants, have died in the Malaysia’s Juru Immigration Detention Centre from Leptospirosis. This is disease that is usually caused by exposure to water contaminated with the urine of infected animals, such as rodents, cattle, pigs, horses, dogs and wild animals. The fact, that 2 persons are dead and others have been infected by this disease, again highlights the state of hygiene, cleanliness and healthcare at Malaysian Detention Centres.

We recall that it was reported in the media in December 2008, that "About 1,300 illegal foreigners have died during detention in the past six years, Malaysia Nanban quoted Malaysian Human Rights (Suhakam) commissioner Datuk N. Siva Subramaniam as saying. He said many of them died in immigration detention centres, prisons and police lockups because they were denied medical treatment at the right time.” [Star, 18/12/2008, ‘1,300 foreign detainees died due to neglect’]. Now, Sa La Hin and Thang Hoih Ping may just be the latest additions to that list of detainees that died due to similar reasons.

We also recall the words of SUHAKAM in their response to the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) dated 13/1/2009, that correctly stated that ‘…SUHAKAM views the denial of medical attention to the point of endangering one’s life as a serious violation of that person’s right to life….’

These deaths may have been avoided if medical attention was provided promptly, and we call for an independent public inquiry to determine whether there was such negligence on the part of the Ikatan Relawan Rakyat or better known as RELA (a People's Volunteer Corps), and the Immigration officers, who are currently responsible for Immigration Detention Centres in Malaysia.

We do appreciate the fact that the Director General of Immigration has now decided that ‘cleanliness and hygiene at immigration depots nationwide are to be stepped-up to ensure safety of staff and inmates there against contracting infectious diseases’ (Bernama, 19/5/2009, Cleanliness, Hygiene at Immigration Depot to Be Stepped Up).

We hope that this is not merely a knee-jerk response, which is temporary in nature, but a new and permanent commitment by Malaysia to improve standards and conditions of Detention Centres and other places of detention.

The current once a week visit by a medical officer to the Detention Centres is certainly inadequate. There should be, at the very least, a permanent clinic/dispensary manned by a medical assistant, with a doctor visiting detainees for several hours at least once every two days or more frequently.

New users of the Detention facility should also be determined free from easily transmittable diseases like Tuberculosis and the A(H1N1) flu before being introduced to the general population of detention places.

There should also be regular visits by the Health Officer, who shall monitor the conditions, including of the living and sleeping environment, of the Detention Centre to ensure that it meets the highest standards of hygiene and cleanliness.

The foods, and all aspects of food preparation, also need to be monitored by the Health Department especially since there is a possibility that the fault in the recent deaths could be the current caterer of food and drink.

With regard to those who have died, we are of the opinion that their family and/or dependents should be given adequate compensation by the persons responsible, the detaining authority and the Malaysian government.

Officers and persons responsible for the acts or omissions that resulted in death and suffering should be charged and prosecuted for these crimes. They should not be permitted to hide behind safeguards provided to public servants and/or the RELA volunteers, which unfortunately only promotes culture of impunity with no sense of responsibility and respect for human life.

We, the undersigned, call on the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (SUHAKAM) to immediately commence a public inquiry into these deaths and detention places generally, and come up with concrete recommendations which could be implemented that will improve state of cleanliness, hygiene and healthcare of all detention places in Malaysia.

We are also call upon the Ministry of Health and the government of Malaysia to take necessary steps to ensure that proper steps be taken to ensure that such disregard for life does not happen again.

We reiterate the call for the abolition of RELA, and restate our position that law enforcement, and management of detention places should be done by professionally trained full-time public servants, not volunteers.

Charles Hector
Pranom Somwong

For and on behalf of the 113 organizations/groups listed below:-

Action for Health Initiatives (ACHIEVE), Inc, Philippines
Action Network for Migrants (ANM), Thailand
All Women's Action Society (AWAM), Malaysia
Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma
Asia Pacific Forum on Women Law and Development (APWLD)
Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM), Hong Kong
Asia-Pacific Solidarity Coalition (APSOC)
Asia Pacific Workers Solidarity Link (APWSL), Korea
Asian Migrants' Coordinating Body - Hong Kong (AMCB-HK)
Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma)-AAPP
Bahrain Center for Human Rights
Bar Council Human Rights Committee, Malaysia
Bar Council's Legal Aid Centre, Malaysia
BAYAN USA
Building and Wood Workers International, Asia Pacific Regional Office
Burma Campaign Australia
Burma Campaign, Malaysia
Burma Campaign UK
Burma Centre Delhi (BCD)
Burma's Nationalities Association (BNA)- Norway
Burma Partnership
Cambodian Women's Crisis Center
Canadian Friends of Burma (CFOB)
CDS (Community Development Services), Sri Lanka
Center for Migrant Advocacy, Philippines
Center for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC), Malaysia
Centre for Public Policy Studies (CPPS), Malaysia
Chin Human Rights Organization
Civil Society Committee of LLG Cultural Development Centre (LLGCSC) Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach (USA)
Commission For Filipino Migrant Workers (CFMW) - The Netherlands
Committee for Asian Women (CAW)
Coordination of Action Research on AIDS & Mobility (CARAM -Asia)
Democratic Party for a New Society (DPNS), Burma
Development Action for Women Network (DAWN), Philippines
Empower Foundation, Thailand
Ethnic Nationalities Council
FIDH - International Federation for Human Rights
Filipino Migrant Workers' Union - Hong Kong (FMWU)
Forum for Democracy in Burma
Foundation for Education and Development (Formerly, Grassroots HRE (Burma)
Free Burma Coalition - Philippines (FBC-Phils)
Free Burma Campaign, South Africa
Friends of Burma, Malaysia
Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW)
HAKAM - National Human Rights Society, Malaysia
Health Equity Initiatives, Malaysia
H.O.M.E. (Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics), Singapore
Hope Workers’ Center, Taiwan
HRWG - Indonesia's NGO Coalition for International Advocacy
Hsinchu Catholic Diocese Migrants and New Immigrants Service Center, Taiwan
IMPARSIAL, the Indonesia Human Rights Monitor, Jakarta – Indonesia
INFID (International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development)
Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID)
Kachin Women's Association Thailand
KAFIN Migrant Center, Japan
KAFIN - Saitama, Japan
Kayan National Development Foundation (KNDF)
Khmer Kampuchea Krom Human rights Organisation (KKKHRO), Cambodia
Labornet Korea
Labour Resource Centre, Malaysia
Legal Support for Children and Women (LSCW), Cambodia
LHRLA (Lawyers for Human Rights & Legal Aid), Pakistan
MADPET (Malaysians against Death Penalty and Torture)
Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC)
Mekong Migration Network (MMN)
Migrant CARE, Perhimpunan Indonesia untuk Buruh Migran Berdaulat
Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA)
MIGRANTE Europe
MIGRANTE Middle East
MIGRANTE International
MIGRANTE - Nagoya
MIGRANTE - UAE
Mindanao Migrants Center for Empowering Actions, Inc. (MMCEAI)
Myanmar Ethnic Rohingyas Human Rights Organization Malaysia (MERHROM)
National Democratic Party for Human Rights(NDPHR)(exile),SEA Regional Office
National League for Democracy [NLD (LA)], Malaysia
National Institute for Electoral Integrity (NIEI), Malaysia
National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, U.S.
Network for Democracy and Development, Thailand
Network of Action for Migrants in Malaysia (NAMM)
New Zealand Burma Support Group
NY Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines
OKUP (Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Program), Bangladesh
Osan Migrant Workers Center in South Korea
Palaung State Liberation Front (PSLF)
Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR)
Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM)
Peoples Service Organization (PSO), Malaysia
Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangot (EMPOWER)
Persatuan Masyarakat Selangor & Wilayah Persekutuan (PERMAS), Malaysia
Persatuan Sahabat Wanita, Selangor
Platform of Filipino Migrant Organisations in Europe - The Netherlands
POURAKHI, Nepal
Pusat KOMAS, Malaysia
Raks Thai Foundation, Thailand
Rohingya Youth Development Forum (RYDF), Malaysia
Shan Refugee Organization Malaysia (SRO)
Shan Women's Action Network (SWAN)
Shwe Gas Movement
St. John's Cathedral HIV Education Centre, Hong Kong
Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM)
Tenaganita, Malaysia
The Foundation for the Health and Knowledge of Ethnic Labour (MAP)
The Justice, Peace & Solidarity in Mission Office, The Good Shepherd Sisters
The Micah Mandate
Transient Workers Count Too, Singapore
United Filipinos in Hong Kong (UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK)
U.S. Campaign for Burma
WARBE Development Foundation - Bangladesh
Women's Aid Organisation (WAO), Malaysia
Women's League of Burma
Workers Hub for Change (WH4C)


* For further information, please contact Charles Hector (chef@tm.net.my) or Pranom Somwong (Bee) (p_somwong@yahoo.com) at 019-2371 300

The government of Malaysia should immediately take the appropriate action to latest case of migrant’s death in detention.

Latest case of migrant’s death in detention, names are Sa La Hin, 26, and Thang Hoih Ping, 21 both of them is from Burma: Star, 19/5/2009 Leptospirosis kills 2nd Myanmar illegal immigrant (Update)

SUHAKAM (Malaysia's Human Rights Commission) told us that "ABOUT 1,300 illegal foreigners have died during detention in the past six years, Malaysia Nanban quoted Malaysian Human Rights (Suhakam) commissioner Datuk N. Siva Subramaniam as saying. He said many of them died in immigration detention centres, prisons and police lockups because they were denied medical treatment at the right time.-Star, 18/12/2008 - 1,300 foreign detainees died due to neglect

SUHAKAM views the denial of medical attention to the point of endangering one’s life as a serious violation of that person’s right to life.- - letter of SUHAKAM to the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) dated 13/1/2009


The government of Malaysia should immediately take the appropriate action to remedy the family of two migrants who died.

The government to improve the sanitary and other facilities at the detention centers. The governments to ensure that migrants are provided with clean drinking water, food, appropriate space, bedding, when subject to detention.

That should including the provision of appreciate services and medical care to detainees especially the children, pregnant women and migrants with health needs in detention.



Published: Tuesday May 19, 2009 MYT 11:45:00 AM
Updated: Tuesday May 19, 2009 MYT 1:33:09 PM
Leptospirosis kills 2nd Myanmar illegal immigrant (Update)
By DERRICK VINESH

BUTTERWORTH: A second Myanmar illegal immigrant in the Juru detention camp in Central Seberang Prai here has died of Leptospirosis.
Immigration Department director-general Abdul Rahman Othman said that the immigrant, Sa La Hin, 26, who had been detained in the camp since January, succumbed to the contagious bacterial disease late Sunday at the Bukit Mertajam Hospital.
Last Tuesday, Myanmar detainee Thang Hoih Ping, 21, died of the disease in the same hospital following an outbreak in the camp.
Abdul Rahman said that as at 11am Tuesday, 24 detainees were still warded, including one in the Seberang Jaya Hospitals intensive care unit.
Of the 24 detainees, 22 are Myanmar nationals and two are Bangladeshis.
Deeply concerned over the situation, Abdul Rahman ordered all migrant detention camps in the country to increase hygiene standards and cleanliness levels, including the preparation of food and drinks.
“We have yet to obtain an official report from the Health department on the two deaths as well as the actual cause of the outbreak.
“However, we have taken precautionary measures by stationing a medical team on daily shift duty at the Juru camp to closely monitor the situation,” he said.
Not ruling out the possibility that the disease could have been transmitted from the immigrants, Abdul Rahman said that according to standard operating procedures, a medical officer usually visited the camp once a week.
However, since the outbreak, the department had opened the doors of its detention camps nationwide for health officials to come in and provide necessary medical assistance, he said.
He also said the Juru camp’s catering tender might be reviewed if the cause of the outbreak pointed to contamination of its food and drinks.
Abdul Rahman, however, discarded over-crowding as among the reasons for the widespread of the disease, noting that the Juru detention camp merely had an additional 53 detainees compared to its 500 detainee-capacity.
He also sought the co-operation of the Myanmar embassy, to help contact the next-of-kin of the two deceased detainees to enable their bodies to be sent back immediately.
On requests by residents in Perkampungan Juru to have the Juru camp relocated elsewhere, Abdul Rahman said that he had not received any formal request on the matter.

Bodies Of 904 Workers Arrived In 5 Months, 44% Cardiac Arrest (The Daily Star, 13/5/2009)

Bodies Of 904 Workers Arrived In 5 Months

44pc of them died of cardiac arrest

Porimol Palma,Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Around 44 percent of the Bangladeshi migrant workers who returned home in coffins between January 1 and May 9 this year, had died of cardiac arrests in Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian countries, raising serious questions about the living standards of migrant workers in those countries.

Cardiologists said acute tension caused by uncertainties of income and unhealthy food habits may lead to deaths by heart attacks, while labour rights activists are emphatic that mental tension caused by low income, debts, and lack of medical care abroad lead to such deaths.

A total of 904 bodies of migrant workers returned home from different countries between January and May, 391 of whom died of cardiac arrests, 268 in workplace accidents, 62 in road accidents, 115 of other sicknesses, and the remaining died due to various other reasons, according to official sources at Zia International Airport (ZIA).

Among the 391 deaths by cardiac arrests, 119 were in Saudi Arabia, 82 in Malaysia, 72 in the United Arab Emirates, 35 in Kuwait, 16 in Oman, 10 in Qatar, 10 in Bahrain, 7 in Singapore, and 2 were in Lebanon the major destinations abroad for Bangladeshi labourers.

The number of deaths of migrant workers abroad has been increasing exponentially since 2004.

Last year, the number of dead bodies transported home was 2,237, which had been 1,673 in 2007, 1,402 in 2006, 1,248 in 2005, and 788 in 2004.

"It is usual that our workers have acute mental tension, as they work far from their relatives, and quite often their incomes are not up to their expectations," said Prof KMHS Sirajul Haque, chairman of the cardiology department at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University in the capital.

"Acute mental tension increases the risk of heart attacks," Haque said. Referring to patients who returned from Middle Eastern countries, he said they spent Tk 2 lakh to Tk 3 lakh to go to those countries, but could not earn much.

In the Middle Eastern countries the migrant workers also eat more meat and other fatty foods than vegetables, he added saying, such food habits also increase the risk of heart attacks.

Al-Amin Nayon, executive director of International Migrants Alliance Research Foundation, said it is surprising that many deceased workers aged between 25 and 40 had been medically fit at the time of leaving home, but died in a few months of getting to their workplaces abroad.

Job seekers pay too high a price to go abroad for jobs, but in many cases they can neither recover the money to repay the loan sharks nor can they help their families back home, which make their lives miserable in faraway lands, Nayon added.

Deaths of many such workers overseas in heart attacks have become a matter of public concern in recent times, especially since job cut has become a regular phenomenon due to the ongoing global economic recession.

Rezaul Haque, 40 of Faridpur, is one such victim who died of a cardiac arrest. His body returned home on May 8. He had gone to Dubai 18 months ago, but sent only Tk 40,000 since then, said his sister Mita.

"My brother did not have any job for many months initially. Later, he worked for a company other than the one that originally hired him," Mita said adding that her brother had to spend Tk 2.20 lakh for going to Dubai, most of which had been borrowed at a staggering annual interest rate of 96 percent, and has to be paid in monthly instalments.

Another Bangladeshi worker Ikhtiar, 30, of Naogaon, who died in a Malaysian detention camp early April, had been allegedly tortured by the special immigration police of that country, because he along with some others could not show work permits as those had been retained by their employers.

Mahesh Sarker of Tangail died in late 2007 following months of unemployment and abuses in Malaysia.

There are unimaginable exploitation of workers abroad, but the authorities have done really a little to address the grave problem, said Al-Amin Nayon who returned from Malaysia in late 2007 following abuses by his employer.

"The number of untimely deaths will continue to increase unless the government takes strong measures immediately to ensure migrant workers' jobs and welfare, instead of only being proud of the remittance they send back home," Nayon added.

Source: Daily Star Website

See also Charles Hector Blog :- Malaysia is No. 2 - 82 Bangladeshi migrants died of 'heart attack' this year??

Damage control on anti-trafficking by giving the Legal rights protection, right to stay and right to work!!

Interesting article and suggest damage control throughout the allegation of official involved in trafficking , which he takes in to approach of legal protection such as the Government should give priority to documented refugees when it comes to recruiting temporary foreign labour and acknowledge the work of NGOs.
It may be the initial next steps forward including we should call for legal document for all asylum seekers who are in process of apply the refugee status. If asylum seekers have legal document to stay and work in Malaysia they won’t valuable to forced labour . ( This is better than just only call for investigation for corruption .. government set up the committees and they tight the border .. again migrants/refugee will have to pay more to come back )


Thursday May 14, 2009
Use refugees for labour needs
DIPLOMATICALLY SPEAKING:By DENNIS IGNATIUS

The predicament of Myanmar refugees in Malaysia has been grabbing international media attention. There are growing calls for the Government to address the issue.
FOR the last several weeks, the international press has been highlighting the sad plight of the more than 80,000 Myanmar refugees in Malaysia.
An explosive report by the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee that was released recently alleges the involvement of some Malaysian officials in the trafficking of these refugees. The refugees have reportedly been abused and harshly treated by other government agencies, including Rela.
The Government has until now, consistently denied all allegations of mistreatment, abuse or trafficking. The former minister of home affairs rejected these allegations outright.
The allegations themselves are not new. Malaysian and other NGOs have been voicing similar concerns for years. Malaysian print and television media have also featured investigative reports on this issue. Just google ‘Burmese refugees – Malaysia’ and dozens of sites will pop-up.
The UN High Commission for Refugees has also expressed alarm at the treatment of refugees in Malaysia. Anyone who bothers to seek out these hapless refugees, in and around our larger cities, and talk to them, as I have, will be shocked by their stories of harassment, intimidation and abuse.
Of course, there may be some exaggeration involved. Nevertheless, their stories are credible, compelling and distressing, and must be taken seriously. Denial is not an option any longer.
It is to our great shame that we treat people who are fleeing from oppression in such a callous manner. It goes against the norms of decency and violates international conventions on the treatment of refugees. It even flies in the face of our own claim to be “a caring society.”
Pretending that this problem does not exist in the hope that it would go away is not going to work. The issue has now gained international traction.
European and Canadian parliamentarians, together with members of the US Congress, have taken up the cry, as have many respected NGOs.
Even our own parliamentarians are demanding action. We can therefore expect more negative publicity and criticism from abroad. It is going to get very messy unless appropriate action is taken.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has done the right thing in calling for a thorough investigation. Our Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan has promised the same. Officials and others who are found to be complicit in these abuses must be brought to book. We have no obligation to defend them or cover up for them.
However, these encouraging statements must now be followed up with a more comprehensive plan of action that should include the following:
First, a policy decision must be made to recognise that legitimate refugees are different from illegal and other economic migrants. The UNHCR already has in place a credible refugee registration system. Malaysian agencies should recognise UNHCR refugee documentation and extend appropriate protection to those who hold them. The harassment of refugees must end immediately.
Second, the Government should henceforth give priority to documented refugees when it comes to recruiting temporary foreign labour. It makes no sense to contract thousands of foreign workers from abroad, and particularly from Myanmar, when we already have a huge pool of unemployed refugees within our borders.
By providing refugees with legal employment, they will be able to live in dignity while awaiting resettlement in third countries.
Third, the Government should acknowledge the work of our NGOs in caring for the refugees despite many limitations, including hostility from some government agencies.
These NGOs are already on the ground and have a good track record. With even modest government assistance, support and encouragement, they can do much to help the refugees.
Fourth, the Government should take the initiative to host an Asean conference on refugees. Resettlement countries, as well as China, should be included.
The objective would be to construct a proper regional framework to prevent the abuse and trafficking of refugees and speed up their resettlement to third countries.
Myanmar’s military rulers must also be persuaded to end their campaign of terror against their own minorities.
There is, of course, the fear that extending humanitarian support to refugees would open the floodgates, so to speak.
The real problem we face, however, is not from genuine refugees but from out of control illegal immigration that is exacerbated by corruption and short-sighted labour recruitment policies. The unfortunate people fleeing from tyranny in Myanmar should not have to suffer because of this.
Najib has a unique opportunity to mend the damage done to our international image and to restore our own self-respect. Bold measures are needed, and needed quickly.
Malaysians, too, can help by reaching out to these refugees with the care and compassion that has always been our hallmark, instead of reacting with fear and suspicion.
In the final analysis, the measure of a country is not the high ideals it claims to possess but the compassion and care it shows to the weak and vulnerable in its midst. Malaysia must rise to this challenge.
Datuk Dennis Ignatius is a 36-year veteran of the Malaysian foreign service. He has served in the United Kingdom, China, the United States, Chile and Argentina. He retired as High Commissioner for Malaysia to Canada in July 2008.

http://thestar.com.my/columnists/story.asp?file=/2009/5/14/columnists/diplomaticallyspeaking/3878529&sec=diplomaticallyspeaking

Malaysia should have the law on minimum wages!!

A minimum wage was proposed as a means to make employer pay "fairly." Without minimum wages the employer can control the wages rate toward certain group of workers (migrant workers) and could really lead to exploitation example 18.5 RM for working in 12-14 hours
Minimum wages could guarantee minimum income of family and increases the standard of living for the poorest and most vulnerable class in society and raises average. The minimum wages should set up according to living wages ,generally means that a person working 40 hours a week, with no additional income, should be able to afford a specified quality or quantity of housing, food, utilities, transport, health care, and recreation.
It maybe appropriate for this economic recession period as minimum wages will stimulates consumption, local economy by putting more money in the hands of low-income people who spend their entire paychecks.

Further more if public servant is enjoy the minimum wages WHY CAN'T worker in private sector have their right too ? Unless Malaysia is really discriminate the workers !

Happy labour Day

The Malaysia government listened and sympathetic to employer by defers foreign worker levy hike and allow Employers to deduct this levy from the wages of the foreign workers.
Now there will no more deductions regarding NEW foreign migrant workers, i.e. those employed after 1/4/2009 but what about workers who employed before that ?
Malaysia should also implement the minimum wage for ALL worker .
Not much for workers to celebrate today in MALAYSIA and around the world but as worker solidarity we will be flighting all this injustice practices and policy .. solidarity with all workers around the world. we deserve decent work and decent life !
Happy labour Day !



FROM http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/5/1/nation/20090501193529&sec=nation

Published: Friday May 1, 2009 MYT 7:36:00 PM
Cabinet temporarily defers foreign worker levy hike


KUALA LUMPUR: The Cabinet has decided to defer temporarily the implementation of the foreign worker levy hike, Human Resource Minister Datuk Dr. S.Subramaniam said.

He said the Cabinet made the decision at its last weekly meeting after considering requests by the employers, especially restaurant owners who felt the hike would be and added burden.

“The Cabinet felt that it was not the right time to implement the levy hike on foreign workers due to the uncertain economic situation,” he told reporters at Angkasapuri here on Friday.

Dr. Subramaniam said he raised the matter at Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting after gathering feedback from the employers and industry stakeholders recently.

“With this decision, the implementation of the doubling of levy payment for foreign workers will be deferred temporarily until the economy improves,” he said.

The Minister said once the country’s economy had improved, the Cabinet would announce the mechanism for the implementation of the hike.

It was reported that more than 375,000 foreign and local workers in 25,000 Indian, Muslim and Chinese food outlets risked losing their jobs if the foreign worker levy payment was doubled as proposed in the mini budget.

The mini budget tabled in Parliament recently, provided for the doubling of the foreign workers levy, except for those in the construction, plantation and domestic maid sectors.

Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association (Presma) president Datuk Jamarulkhan Kadir was quoted as saying that many restaurants found it difficult to sustain their businesses even without the annual levy per worker being increased from RM1,800 to RM3,600.

He was reported to have said that on top of the levy, the owners also had to pay for medical fees (RM200), visa charges (RM160) and insurance (RM100).

Malaysian Indian Restaurant Owners Association (Primas) president Datuk R. Ramalingam Pillai had also urged the Government to review the levy for the service sector and cancel it in view of the looming recession.

Ramalingam claimed that business across the board had also shrunk 30% in the past six months following the economic slowdown sparked by the global financial crisis.-Bernama