Over 270 employers penalised for labour rights violations since Jan 1

In a press conference at a hotel in Putrajaya, Malaysia, Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar announced that 272 employers have been fined a total of RM2.17mil by the ministry for failing to protect the welfare and rights of their workers. Additionally, 1,321 investigation papers have been opened against 645 employers for violating laws enforced by the Labour Department, with some cases involving elements of forced labour. The employers were found to have committed various offenses, such as unlawfully deducting wages, failing to provide contracts and payslips, not including all allowances in overtime calculations, failing to obtain a Certificate of Accommodation, and failing to pay minimum wages. Sivakumar emphasized that the purpose of enforcement action was to teach employers not to violate their employees’ rights, rather than to penalize them.

Since January 1, a total of 128 employers have been charged in court for various offenses and have faced penalties totaling RM242,000. Sivakumar assured that measures have been put in place to address the forced labour situation in the country. He highlighted that globally, 23 million people are victims of forced labour, with the highest ratio occurring in the Asia Pacific region. Malaysia has ratified the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Forced Labour Convention No 29, which defines forced labour and aims to achieve zero forced labour cases by 2030.

Sivakumar launched the Guidelines to Prevent and Combat Forced Labour Practices at the Workplace, which provide employees with knowledge of their rights. The guidelines identify 11 indicators of forced labour, including abuse of vulnerable groups, deception, restriction of movement, isolation, physical and sexual violence, intimidation and threats, retention of identification documents, withholding of wages, debt bondage, abusive working and living conditions, and excessive overtime. The intention of the guidelines is to educate both employers and employees, as many employers claim ignorance of the law and workers are not familiar with their rights. Sivakumar expressed hope that the new guidelines would improve understanding and acknowledgement of the laws on forced labour.