EMPLOYERS, including government agencies, companies, industries, and individuals, have been urged to protect workers’ rights and avoid any conduct which may result in exploitation or forced labour.
Ministry of Human Resources (KESUMA) deputy secretary-general (Operations) Sutekno Ahmad Belon said that exploitation and forced labour are no longer just labour or legal matters, but global humanitarian issues which every employer must take seriously.
“It also directly affects the country’s reputation and international trade relations. For instance, the issuance of Withhold Release Orders (WRO) by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), on products linked to forced labour, is a very serious measure.
“Therefore, addressing this issue requires collective effort, and the implementation of the National Action Plan on Forced Labour (NAPFL) 2021-2025, jointly led by the National Strategy Office – Council for Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (NSO MAPO) and Department of Labour Peninsular Malaysia (JTKSM) – demonstrates the country’s unified commitment to eradicating forced labour,” he said.
He said this to reporters, after officiating the Prevention of Labour Exploitation: Towards Zero Forced Labour 2030 Seminar, which was attended by more than 300 employers from various sectors, in Penang, today.
He added that the one-day seminar aimed to raise awareness on labour issues and forced labour, as well as to strengthen cooperation between the government, industry, and civil society in creating workplaces free from exploitation.
He said that the seminar also focused on critical issues such as forced labour, compliance with labour laws, and the challenges faced by industries in ensuring justice and workers’ welfare.
Sutekno added that there are 11 indicators of forced labour, including workers being confined or restricted, wages being withheld or illegally deducted, workers being threatened, forced to work overtime without pay, and workers not having access to their own documents.
Forced labour remains a challenge, because Malaysia, as an active player in global trade, hosts a large number of foreign workers, creating opportunities for exploitation if monitoring is not strict.
He noted that Malaysia is currently ranked at Tier 2 in the United States Department of State’s 2024 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report but aims to reach Tier 1 by 2030. — BERNAMA
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