The exploitation of migrant workers in Malaysia is not a new phenomenon.

Successive administrations have known about the repeated abuse of these foreign workers, but has anything been done to resolve the issue of unscrupulous people profiteering from them? The answer is “No”!

The poor foreign workers would have paid huge sums of money to work in Malaysia, which agents in their countries would have said is the land of golden opportunity.

Upon arrival in Malaysia, many of these workers will discover to their shock and horror that the promised employment is non-existent, wages are lower than promised, or the conditions they live and work in are appalling.

These are only a few of the problems which have been documented. So, why is the political will to help them non-existent?

On 26 December, Malaysians read about the plight of 171 migrant workers from Bangladesh who had been arrested on 20 December, and held under immigration custody.

Human Resources Minister Steven Sim told reporters that his ministry would summon the agency involved in the recruitment of these 171 migrant workers to help facilitate investigations.

Kota Tinggi district police chief Hussin Zamora confirmed the arrest of the workers whom he claimed had been legally brought into the country but who did not have work awaiting them ever since they landed in Malaysia.

This begs the question: How did the agency which successfully obtained the quota to recruit the workers able to do so knowing full well that there were no jobs on offer?

So, isn’t firm secure employment a prerequisite for getting the go-ahead from the necessary government agencies?

Is there a suggestion of collusion between various individuals within the government agencies and the recruitment firms involved, to commit fraud?

Steven said his ministry would not hesitate to take stern actions against anyone found guilty.

The agency had yet to find work for the workers three months after they arrived in Malaysia, and according to The Star, Hussin said the Bangladeshi workers decided to walk to Bayu Damai police station around 10 km from their hostel, to lodge a police report.

However, their efforts were thwarted when unbeknown to them, a police report had been lodged against them based on a video of them walking together to the police station.

Why were the workers arrested, especially as they tried to do the correct  thing but were instead treated as criminals when by right they were the victims?

Many of these foreign workers would have used up their hard-earned savings, or borrowed huge sums of money to secure employment in Malaysia via the agents.

When they arrived here and found that there was no employment and in this case, for at least three months, did they pay more for their accommodation and food?

As more money had been spent waiting around for work, will the agency compensate them for their additional expenses?

The Human Resources Ministry and the Immigration Department would have given the agency involved the go-ahead to bring in the migrant workers. So, was there hanky-panky involved?

As this is not the first time foreign workers have been defrauded, was there a cover-up in the various government departments to protect individuals involved and the firms and agencies who were part of the scam or perhaps, the politicians, high-ranking civil servants and their cronies?

The nightmare of foreign worker exploitation is something we keep hearing about time and again.

The foreigners keep coming to Malaysia allegedly by legal means, but often end up without proper documentation. So what is really happening?

Responding to the case of the 171 arrested migrant workers, Pengerang MP Azalina Othman said an immediate investigation against those duping the migrant workers had been initiated.

She said this was a violation of human rights and should not be tolerated, including in the business sector.

She said this issue was only the tip of the iceberg and that the culprits behind the syndicate should be punished.

Azalina is being disingenuous as this problem is not an overnight phenomenon and was rife in previous Umno-Baru administrations, of which she was a senior member.

Any fool will know that this repeat occurrence of duping foreign workers will suggest collusion between agents and the local authorities.

Good money has been made exploiting the desperate and vulnerable foreign workers.

The foreigners paid exorbitant sums to work outside of their home countries, away from their comfort zone, so that they would improve the well-being of their families. Instead, they were conned out of more money and left destitute and penniless by these agents.

Will Steven punish the agents and firms behind them with severe penalties which will then act as a deterrent to prevent the organised criminal syndicate activities?

Officials from the Home Ministry and the Immigration Department cannot get off lightly either. The Home Minister cannot pretend he is not aware of this scam.

Steven may find that the more he probes, he will be opening more can of worms and that he’d better watch his back, as many people will want to protect their vested interests.

Sources:

1. Malaysiakini: Attempts to report agent lands migrant workers in immigration custody
2. Malaysiakini: Migrant workers’ arrest: HR minister to summon agent involved
3. Malaysiakini: Migrant worker import quota won via fake deals, then traded for millions
4. Malay Mail: HR ministry to discuss issues related to foreign workers with Home Ministry, says Sim
5. Malay Mail: Bukit Aman: Police rescue two foreign workers in Rawang believed to be victims of labour exploitation
6. Malay Mail: Commit to improving migrant labour welfare and protections, Malaysian Bar tells Putrajaya

(Mariam Mokhtar is a Freelance Writer.)