According to the malaysiakini report on Aliran's statement on the recent deportation of Burmese workers in Butterworth:

" Others have received take-home wages in the region of RM100 and RM200," said Aliran.

This was because a number of deductions were made from the workers' salaries - 50 percent to repay loans taken to finance their trip to Malaysia and pay off agents' fees, another 10 percent supposedly for Burma's income tax, and other deductions included Malaysia's foreign workers' levies. "

I would like to clarify that the 50 percent deduction from their salary is not used only to repay loans taken to finance their trip to Malaysia and pay off agents' fees. If that is the case the sum will be too big and is not justifiable.

In actual fact, part of this 50 percent deduction will be given to their families as monthly family remittance. Once the loan is paid, the full sum of the 50 percent deduction will go their families in Burma. This is done through the Burmese embassy in Kuala Lumpur. With this information in mind, it is therefore wrong to imply that the workers received only RM100 or RM200 as take home wages.

The 10 percent income tax is done in accordance to Burma's labour law.

Furthermore, both deductions are calculated based on their basic salary, which is RM18 x 26 days = RM468 per month. If they have many hours of overtime, they should have more money in their pockets while in Malaysia.

This system of deduction has its merits but it has also posed some problems to the workers once they do not work overtime and their salary falls short of the RM700 promised. The Myanmar Employment Agency which is state-controlled has put forward new proposals to rectify the situation, with the help of its counterparts in Malaysia.

Thus far, Burma is the only country that still gives full financial loan to their workers to work in Malaysia. Workers from other source countries like Vietnam have to find their own finance.

The Myanmar Employment Agency concerned actually find themselves in financial difficulty for not being able to collect enough funds to send new workers to Malaysia. This practice is going to be changed soon.

Therefore, in this particular case, it is wrong to say that the "employment agencies had enticed the workers to come to work in Malaysia" on false salary promises. The famous RM700 per month salary is actually a guarantee obtained by the Burmese agency for their workers with the agreement of the employer as stated in their employment contracts.

It is often the fault of the employers who could not live up to their engagement due to various reasons. This is one of the main reasons for subsequent industrial disputes. Of course inability to speak each other's language is also a main culprit.

Nevertheless, it's true that under the present system the balance of power is tilted in favour of the employer. For example, the workers can be reprimanded and sent back to their country of origin immediately without adequate safeguards or compensation, eventhough the seed of the labour conflict could be sown by employers who do not respect the Malaysian labour law and the employment contracts.

Much has to be done by all parties, including relevant government authorities, to promote a better labour relation between the Malaysian management and the foreign workers. This begins with a provision of good information and public consciousness.

That's what motivates me to write to participate in this debate.