KUALA LUMPUR: The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) has urged the government and business entities to protect and promote migrant workers' rights in Malaysia.
"The vulnerability of migrant workers, especially those who are undocumented, has been made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Because of the pandemic, a lot of migrant workers lost their jobs and face challenges to gain access to medical treatment, food, and other necessities. Migrant workers also do not have access to government aid because it is only given to Malaysian citizens," it said in a statement issued in commemoration of International Migrants Day, today.
It said Suhakam has received many complaints regarding the violation of human rights faced by migrant workers.
"A lot of the complaints received… are related to forced labour, human trafficking, non-payment for work, identification documents kept by employers, delayed renewal of work permits, illegal dismissal of workers, mistreatment, and death at workplace.
"A lot of migrant workers live in shared houses and in several cases, there are 40 or 80 residents in one house, which increases their susceptibility to Covid-19 infection.
"Even though the government provides free health screenings for migrant workers, most undocumented migrants refuse to go through the screening as they fear getting caught by the authorities," Suhakam said.
In July this year, the Human Resources Ministry stated that there are around 2.1 million documented migrant workers in Malaysia.
However, there is no verified data regarding the number of undocumented migrants in the country.
"Recently, Suhakam received the Strategic Plan 2021-2025 and one of the objectives in the plan is to improve the economic, social and cultural rights (ESCR) of vulnerable groups in Malaysia, which includes migrant workers.
"Based on the plan, Suhakam will conduct several activities, such as a review of the existing laws related to migrant workers, research, and campaigns to raise awareness among the community regarding this issue," it said.