Malaysia’s ratification of protocol to the ILO Convention 29 will better address issues on forced labour

The ratification of Protocol to the ILO Convention 29 on March 21, 2022 is part of the Government’s initiatives to address forced labour issues in Malaysia. The ratification of the protocol on forced labour demonstrates the Government’s commitments to put in place effective measures to combat and eliminate all forms of forced labour. Malaysia’s ratification of the Protocol to the Convention 29 is sending a strong signal that Malaysia is determined to put an end to forced labour practices. Datuk Seri M. Saravanan, the Human Resources Minister personally deposited the instrument on the ratification to the ILO director-general Guy Ryder in Geneva. Malaysia became the 58th country in the world, and the second Asean member state after Vietnam to ratify the Protocol to Convention 29.

MEF president Datuk Dr Syed Hussain Syed Husman stated that “MEF congratulates Datuk Seri M Saravanan, the Minister of Human Resources and the Government of Malaysia for ratifying the Protocol to ILO Convention 29 on Forced Labour. Malaysia had put in place initiatives to combat and eliminate forced labour such as the National Action Plan on Forced Labour that seeks to eliminate forced labour by 2025, effective enforcement of the Employment Act 1955 and Employers’ Minimum Standards of Housing, Accommodation and Amenities Act 1990. Private sector employers are also required to conduct due diligence and employers are required to report incidents of forced labour in their supply chain. Forced labour incidents may occur within the supply chain due to lack of proper mechanisms to address the issues of forced labour.