Saravanan accepts Ramasamy's challenge to debate on forced labour

PETALING JAYA: Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan has accepted the challenge to debate issues regarding forced labour thrown down by DAP's Dr P. Ramasamy.

In a Facebook post on Sunday (April 24), Saravanan said many people had advised him against accepting the challenge.

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“DAP leaders... have a habit of twisting matters for cheap publicity.

“Dr Ramasamy initially criticised my request to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and US authorities, blaming me for taking the easy way out in dealing with them.

“When I answered that I was not (doing so), he called for a debate.

“Now, he wants to not only speak about the accusation that I'm taking the easy way out but matters on a broader spectrum.

“His evasive tactics are becoming obvious.

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“I accepted his challenge to educate him on the steps being taken to eradicate forced labour," he said.

Saravanan added that he did not have an obligation to explain himself to Ramasamy.

"Neither does he have any locus standi to discuss matters of labour... with me.

“I hope he stops beating around the bush and will man up to the challenge he posed,” he said, adding that he is free at 2pm on May 22.

On Thursday (April 21), Saravanan said the ILO and the US Embassy here should inform the Human Resources Ministry about any investigation into forced labour so that solutions can be found before Malaysian products are blocked from entering the United States.

He said several Malaysian products had been subjected to export restrictions by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) following allegations of forced labour, although the ministry had yet to receive any reports from the United States.

"This has made it difficult for us to act (on the allegations)," said Saravanan.

Meanwhile, Ramasamy said he was happy that Saravanan accepted his challenge.

“Even if our disagreement was on the subject of asking the US Embassy and ILO to investigate and inform the government about instances of forced labour, there are broader matters that need to be considered as well.

“The phenomenon of forced labour is a broad one; there is a need to understand what is meant by the term before adopting the superficial definition by the ILO.

“It provides a working definition of the concept and its features as compared to free labour.

“But unfortunately, the ILO definition does not outline the sources of forced labour and the conditions of its manifestation,” the Penang Deputy Chief Minister II said.

Ramasamy added that Saravanan could mean well in his efforts to eradicate the scourge of forced labour.

“But unfortunately, given his limited understanding of the phenomenon of forced labour with its varied manifestations, he thinks it could be eradicated with the right mix of policy and enforcement,” he said.

He also said Saravanan should look at why forced labour continued to exist in Malaysia and other countries despite impressive economic and social development.

“He doesn’t understand that forced labour is something endemic to the nature of economic production – the coexistence of primitive and advanced production systems in the country.

“In other words, by calling for the intervention of the US Embassy and the ILO, he might not really be addressing the problem at hand,” he said.