Malaysia is stepping towards a more conducive working environment for both domestic and foreign workers, the Government and Ministry of Human Resources have been hard at work (no pun intended) in elevating Malaysia’s status as a healthy place to work and earn a living.
Since the pandemic, alarm bells were set off when the US Customs and Border Patrol banned rubber gloves from Malaysia entering the United States due to allegations of forced labour and other incidents towards workers. Poor housing conditions, low income, mistreatment, and abuse in the case of domestic workers were some of the dark points in Malaysia’s labour history. The palm oil industry has been the other sector that has been called out for its alleged use of convicts to work in the estates with poor benefits and low wages, Sime Darby Plantation was among the conglomerate that saw its produce unaccepted by European company Ferrero.
The positive aspect we can look forward to is, how MOHR is looking to resolve some of the legacy labour policies and keep up with charters under the International Labour Organisation so that Malaysia can be in line with modern definitions. For employees to better understand how to look after their employees, and get definitions correct when it comes to ILO indicators on labour mistreatment, it is best they get familiarised themselves with the indicators.
The indicators listed below were developed by the International Labour Organization. They are intended to help “front-line” criminal law enforcement officials, inspectors, trade union officers, NGO workers, and others to identify persons who are possibly trapped in a forced labor situation, and who may require urgent assistance. These indicators represent the most common signs that point to the possible existence of a forced labor case.
