Migrant workers being discriminated in Malaysia

Migrant workers being discriminated in Malaysia - their entitlement to minimum wages have been delayed until end of the year for some employers..

LEVY - the rationale when it was imposed was to deter employers employing migrant workers - and this was paid by employers not the migrant worker. Now, the government is making(or going to make the migrant worker) pay this Levy. And employers will be allowed to deduct the wages of workers to recover the Levy... [Until April 2009, the government was giving 'special permission' to some employers to do this, and finally after much struggle, the government decided to stop this unjust practice...] Malaysian Trade Union Congress and many groups said that this is most unjust as the positive impact of minimum wage law will effectively be cancelled out by making migrants now to pay for Levy.

But now, not only will migrant have to pay LEVY but employers can deduct another RM50 for housing. Most agreements with migrant workers, includes the understanding/promise that it is the employer that pays for accommodation/housing.

WRONG to suddenly impose financial liabilities and conditions on migrants already here and working in Malaysia - It is OK that these new CONDITIONS be imposed on new migrants coming to Malaysia in the future who has yet to enter into employment agreements with their employer 

PARLIAMENT About 600,000 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have been given permission to postpone the minimum wage implementation until December, said Deputy Human Resources Minister Ismail Abd Mutallib. 

The employers need more time to restructure operations and cut down losses before starting the minimum wage implementation, he said when responding to a supplementary question from Tiong King Sing (BN-Bintulu) at the Dewan Rakyat today. 

To the original question from Wan Hasan Mohd Ramli (PAS-Dungun), Ismail said the government would allow SMEs to have discussions with employees before restructuring their salaries and allowances. 

For SMEs that hire foreign workers, he said levy payment would be paid by foreign workers themselves while employers were allowed to deduct up to RM50 from salaries for housing facilities. 

He said an impact study on the minimum wage implementation was being conducted involving employers which had put the scheme into effect. 

Ismail said 1,001 out of 1,239 complaints on the minimum wage implementation had been resolved through negotiation among employers, employees and government.

On another note, Ismail said the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) would be holding a workshop next month to formulate incentives to enhance SME productivity and competitiveness as well to reduce dependence on foreign workers.