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Malaysia Reconceptualizes its Assumptions about Human Trafficking

Human trafficking is not only confined to vice activities. Hundreds of foreign workers who are duped by agents and brought into the country are also victims of human trafficking.

This was revealed by the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) which urged the authorities to look at the "bigger picture" of human trafficking. "Licensing agents to bring in foreign workers has worsened the problem of human trafficking here," said MTUC secretary-general G. Rajasekaran. He said there are currently 220 licensed outsourcing agents who were given permits to bring in as many as 500 workers each into the country.

The agents would then sell the workers or outsource them to employers who need them.  Last year, MTUC received 400 complaints of foreign workers here who are being oppressed by their employers.

Rajasekaran said the numbers could be higher as they believe for every reported case, there were between 10 and 20 cases that go unreported. "These are workers who are brought here but left stranded without jobs for months. There are also cases of workers not being paid for months. They are afraid to go to the authorities as their travel documents are being held by the employers."

He urged the authorities to look into this matter seriously and added that through outsourcing, the government was actually promoting human trafficking. "What was wrong with the previous system where only the employer could bring in workers? Why did the government change it to the so called labour-supplying system," he asked.

Several agents who were interviewed, however, while admitting the problem existed, pointed the accusing finger at agents from the countries of origin."The agents in those countries are the ones who cheat the workers. They promise the workers high-paying jobs here but do not explain the nature of the jobs available," said R. Retnam, an agent here.

"Outsourcing means mobilising the workers to any part of Malaysia, under the same category of work. When the agents there do not explain this, the workers think they are being cheated. "There are also workers who come here without paying a cent, on an agreement that all the expenses will be deducted from their salary.

"However, when they realise their salary after the deduction is very low, they start complaining." Another agent K. Panjamurti said outsourcing agents should be responsible for their workers’ welfare. Both agents agreed that attestation (endorsement of the working contract by the respective high commissions) could avoid the issue of agents and employers taking advantage of a migrant worker.

Outsourcing company Seri Antanum Jaya chief executive officer Zamri Noordin said there were cases of licences being sold to individual agents.He also said there were companies which brought in hundreds of workers but couldn’t provide jobs for all of them. These companies should be blacklisted.

Adapted from: "Foreign Workers also Victims of Human Trafficking." The New Star Online.  27 April 2007.