Malaysia has been denying legal remedy to migrant workers. A study by the Malaysian Trade Union Congress showed that just six per cent migrant workers have been getting access to a judicial court in issues related to forceful termination. 

 

“Migrant workers do not have access to justice when they are wrongfully dismissed,” said former president of the trade union Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud. The trade union has recorded about 7,621 rights violation cases related to migrant workers since 2006. According to Mohamud, there is a nexus between labour and immigration officials and industrialists who dismiss such cases at the labour offices even before they reach the court. “To avoid migrant issues in industrial cases, they terminate the migrant worker’s visa, which automatically makes the migrant illegal in the country,” he said. 

 

Malaysia has about two million migrant workers including more than 500,000 Nepalis. “Nepalis have been suffering with the same problems but their actual status in still unknown,” said president of Pravasi Nepali Coordination Committee Mahendra Pandey. 

 

Not only for migrant workers, the Malaysian government has even been reluctant in forwarding labour cases related to their citizens to court. 

 

According to the trade union, of the 31,714 cases related to wrongful dismissals registered at labour offices, 10,016 cases were not forwarded to the industrial court between 2001 to 2011. 

Currently, about 51 non-governmental organisations working for labour rights have started a campaign to provide legal access for all labour cases. “We want migrant workers to be included in the basic labour rights of the country because they are helping build our country,” said Mohamud.

 

 

KATHMANDU: Bahrain has decided to deport runaway workers. Interior Ministry and the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) agreed to step up efforts to crack down on runaway expatriate workers, Gulf News reported. “Violators will be deported immediately after cancelling their work permits in conformity with Bahraini legal provisions,” said Interior Ministry under-secretary major-general Khalid Salim Al Absi. The clampdown on illegal workers will be started from next week. About 60,000 Nepalis are believed to be working in the destination and two-thirds are illegal.