Who exactly is ripping off foreign workers is really not the issue...but clearly Malaysia's policies and practices when it comes to migrant workers is to be blamed...
The attitude seems to be 'use and dispose' - there seem to be little concern about violation of rights, access to justice, etc...
Migrant workers has become a 'money making' opportunity for many...
# it is cheap easily exploited...
# it is workers that can so easily be made to work long...long hours... (over the 8 hours per day...or 48 hours per day limit ...sometimes even up to 12 hours 7 days a week...) >>> The law fixes the maximum number of hours of overtime but alas Malaysia may soon increase this limit...
# it is workers that so easily can be 'cheated' -- too many stories of workers who have not been paid agreed wages, overtime, etc... so many cases of workers salaries being wrongly deducted - and, if these workers lodge a complaint to claim their rights - some have been immediately 'bundled off' to the airport and send back to their country of origin -- and, of course if the migrant worker is no more in Malaysia, he/she cannot attend the appointments at the Human Resource Department (or HR Court) or the Industrial Relations Department (or Industrial Court) or the police station or civil courts -- and the failure on the part of the complainant will result in the case being dropped ....and the perpetrators and violators of rights escape....
# With Migrant workers, many profit....
a) The Employer - WHY? Bonded labour with no choice or ability to work for any other but the Employer... , and...
b) The Contractor for Labour - Well, Malaysia made these 3rd party, who really have now work of their own that required workers, but are really only 'labour suppliers' into 'employers' - They do not even supervise the work or have any control of the work conditions - but they reap a certain percentage of monies paid for the work done by these workers for real employers - the factories, etc > Parasites?
c) The banks and financial institutions - remittances.... now maybe the 1st (or the 2nd) source of income...
d) The medical checking providers...
e) The 'biometric identification machine/system providers...'
f) One who gets the contracts to supply food, etc to detention centres, etc...
....Who else? Who else?
Malaysia seems to be less concerned about workers and their families - and even now, regular employment until retirement and direct employment relationships are being allowed by Malaysian government policy and laws to be withered away.... being replaced by short-term employment contracts and other precarious employment practices...
# The report highlights some areas of interest...
Umno cronies ripping off foreign workers
Instead of formulating a long-term foreign
labour policy, Umno politicians are introducing more schemes to swindle
migrant workers.
PETALING
JAYA: Malaysia’s policy on foreign workers is fraught with Umno crony
recruitment agencies ripping off millions of ringgit from foreign
workers, Johor DAP deputy chairman S Ramakrishnan said today.
Ramakrishnan added that instead of formulating a long-term
comprehensive foreign labour policy, Umno politicians were busy plotting
more schemes to swindle migrant workers.
“Activists and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have voiced out
that the government’s 6P programme to register foreign workers is a
failure and a scam,” he said.
He added that the 6P programme was monopolised by government
officials and Umno cronies who rip off those who wanted to stay back or
return home.
“The introduction of the biometric system is an added cost, and
agents as well as officers from the Immigration Department end up making
money out of these foreign workers,” said the former senator.
Ramakrishnan said in Nepal, the Malaysian embassy was collecting fees
for an agency that was not physically present for visa-processing.
“In Katmandu, the Home Ministry made it mandatory for medical centres
conducting health checks on workers in that country to install software
developed by a Malaysian IT firm.
“These mandatory installations have increased medical inspection
rates from Rs1,500 to Rs4,215 (RM140) per worker with the total amount,
including visa, costing Rs11,225 (RM373) as opposed to Rs6,525 (RM216)
previously.
“Even the repatriation of illegal immigrants is monopolised by Umno cronies who further rip off foreign workers,” he said.
Ramakrishnan, who is an accountant, alleged that foreign workers were a money-making machine for law enforcement agencies.
“Anybody can enter Malaysia as long as they have enough money to
grease the palms of immigration officers at the entry point and law
enforcement agencies while living here and again at the exit point,” he
said.
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