Forced labour issue must be addressed seriously

IT reflects poorly on the image of a country when an external body such as the United States Customs and Border Protection Depart-ment imposes an export ban against companies for their alleged involvement in forced labour.

The law on forced labour is adequately addressed in the supreme laws of Malaysia, namely, the Federal Constitution. Further, the Penal Code imposes sanctions against those who use forced labour.

Malaysia has many employment legislations that accord adequate protection to its workforce, such as the hours of work, minimum wages, entitlement to various types of leave and maternity protection, among others.

Further, the mechanism to raise and address workers’ grievances are deemed adequate via the Labour Department and Industrial Relations Department in the Human Resources Ministry.

Also, the Malaysian Trades Union Congress has always been proactive in promoting workers’ protection and well-being in this country.

Despite all of the above, embarrassingly, a foreign agency has imposed sanctions on some local companies for their alleged involvement in, or for supposedly condoning, forced labour in their organisation.

The relevant authorities must address this issue seriously, and to do so effectively, vigorous enforcement of the labour statutes is required.

The law must be enforced strictly against companies recruiting undocumented migrant workers who are generally vulnerable to forced labour. A severe penalty should be imposed against those who violate or make a mockery of the country’s labour laws.

PROF DATUK SERI DR ASHGAR ALI ALI MOHAMED , Ahmad Ibrahim Kulliyyah of Laws, International Islamic University Malaysia