WHILE Malaysia has signed a memorandum of understanding with Nepal to adopt fair practices in recruiting workers from Nepal (“Malaysia adopts fair practices in hiring Nepalese”, The Star, Dec 12; online at bit.ly/star_nepal), I wonder whether the Human Resources Ministry will monitor the situation to ensure that these foreigners are not exploited when they are actually working in Malaysia and that their terms and conditions of employment are in accordance with Malaysia’s Employment Act.
I have been in contact with a Nepalese man who is engaged in the security services here. He has been working in Malaysia for about two years. While he is not so conversant in English and Bahasa Malaysia, this is what I gathered from him about the terms and conditions of his employment: He is paid a gross salary of RM1,700 a month. He works 12 hours a day, seven days a week – that is, he does not get a weekly rest day or public holidays off or any annual leave. RM100 is deducted from his salary for each day he does not turn up for work. I presume he has “volunteered” to work on his rest days and on public holidays and to
