PSM has lodged a police report, urging investigations into a timber company in Pokok Sena, Kedah, whose alleged negligence led to the death of at least one of three Nepali workers there.

According to central committee member Rani Rasiah (left) , the third death on Jan 11 may have been avoided had emergency medical care been provided.

Instead, three of the 200 workers who had gathered outside their employer's residence at the sawmill, urging medical assistance for him, were arrested by the police, she said in a statement.

“They urgently needed to send a fellow-worker, who was having difficulty breathing, to hospital. As there was no public transportation they had to seek their employer’s help.

“The workers were anxious as, just a month earlier, two Nepali workers with similar symptoms had died. Their deaths were classified cryptically as ‘sudden death’.”

Instead of rushing the worker to hospital, their employer contacted the police who dispersed the workers and made the arrests. In the meantime, the ailing worker died.

In its police report, PSM accused the timber company of “criminal negligence” for not providing medical aid to the worker, which resulted in his death.

The party also sought a probe into the cause of all three deaths, to determine if this is linked to exposure of chemicals at the workplace or at the workers' hostel, or food consumption.

“This tragic and totally unacceptable episode raises questions on the irregularities and inadequacies of the departments involved in the procurement and management of migrant workers in Malaysia,” Rani said.

“Why did the police arrest the friends of the victim and not the employer whose inaction led to the worker’s death?

“Was the Department of Safety and Health aware of (the situation) and did they investigate the cause of breathing difficulties and sudden death among the workers?”

She also questioned if autopsies were carried out to determine cause of death, and if the workers' families were compensated.  

Malaysiakini has contacted the company and is withholding its name pending its comments.

Workers’ complaints

At a meeting with PSM, the workers had complained about inadequate safety measures at the factory, and claimed that there were no facilities for workers to move in and out of the factory or hostel.

According to a report in The Star , 200 Nepali workers demonstrated at the sawmill in Pokok Sena on Jan 11 for two hours before being dispersed.

Kota Setar Traffic and Public Order chief Mat Akhir Jaafar confirmed that three men were arrested to facilitate investigations.

He also said that the three deaths have been classified as ‘sudden death’.