RM4.3m in fines imposed for violating labour laws this year

In its effort to combat forced labour in Malaysia, the Labour Department has imposed about RM4.3 million in fines for labour violations, said Human Resources Minister V Sivakumar.

The Labour Department investigated 2,429 cases which resulted in fines, primarily focusing on violations of Employees’ Minimum Standards of Housing, Accommodations and Amenities Act 1990.

“Fines of more than RM3.9 million were imposed for poor housing and accommodations for workers,” he said.

Sivakumar visited the Kuala Lumpur Wholesale Market in Selayang today where the Labour Department held its joint operation with officials from the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), the Social Security Organisation (Socso), the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), and the police.

While DOSH was present to ensure that all employers complied with health and safety regulations, the operation was held to ensure that market workers’ labour rights were not being violated.

The Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp) was also present to promote the upskilling of workers in the market.

There are a total of 480 businesses spread across two floors of the market that employ 5,000 local workers.

Sivakumar said he was acting on complaints that workers in wholesale markets did not enjoy social protection.

“Most of the workers were receiving their salary in cash and this is a violation of the Employment Act, which makes salary payments through bank account compulsory,” he said.

The minister emphasised that defaulting on social protection payments is a criminal offence.

He encouraged employees to check their accounts and promptly file a police report if their employers fail to make the required payments

According to the Employees’ Social Security 1969, if found to be defaulting on Socso payments, employers can be fined up to RM10,000 or imprisoned for two years or both.

When met by the minister, 61-year-old Tan Lim Chuan, who had been working in the market for a year, said he was receiving his wages and social protection contributions.

However, Wholesale Market Workers' Welfare Association chairperson Theebham George said he had been attempting to raise the issue of the lack of social protection for market workers with the authorities for the past three years, to no avail.

"At least 2,000 workers here do not have employment contracts so they don't have job security.

"They also don't have social protection and all this makes us feel enslaved to our employers.

"But, today I am happy with this operation conducted by the Labour Department," he said.

Meanwhile, Sivakumar said the ministry was also investigating allegations of trafficking of migrant workers who were recruited into Malaysia with no jobs.

“We will take stern action against those individuals.

“The loophole is they already have the quota and they bring in the workers without having jobs for them,” he said.

Asked what was the root cause for the oversupply of workers, Sivakumar said: “The root cause is that the employers are bringing in workers without making sure there are jobs for them."

He did not reply to Malaysiakini’s query on what were the checks done by the Labour Department before issuing the migrant worker quota.

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