Malaysia must treat foreign workers with dignity, Law and Institutional Reform Minister Azalina Othman Said said, responding to remarks by Lim Guan Eng opposing the extension of the RM1,700 minimum wage and 2% EPF contributions to existing migrant workers.
Speaking at a press conference to launch the country’s first National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (NAPBHR) today, Azalina said Malaysia should not tolerate mistreatment or abuse of foreign workers — a responsibility made more pressing by the country’s current chairmanship of ASEAN.
“We are not a country that utterly disrespects our foreign workers. We have laws, and we must respect every human being,” she said.
Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) chairman Hishamudin Yunus echoed Azalina’s position, saying foreign workers are entitled to protection by Malaysian institutions.
“Foreign workers facing exploitation can always lodge a report with Suhakam. We will look into it for them. That is the process,” he said.
Lim, during last week’s debate on the 13th Malaysia Plan in Parliament, argued there was “no need to mandate the RM1,700 minimum wage and 2% EPF contributions for migrant workers” who are already in the workforce. He cited Singapore’s policy of not requiring Central Provident Fund contributions for migrant workers since 2003, noting that this had not prompted action from the International Labour Organization.
“Therefore, the RM1,700 wage floor and 2% EPF contribution should apply only to new foreign hires, as employers previously engaged the current workers based on (the then) existing terms,” Lim said.
