A human rights lawyer has criticised the government for being “recalcitrant on migrant legislative reform” despite Malaysia being one of the largest importers of foreign labour in Asia.

Joachim Xavier said the country urgently needs a dedicated Migrant Workers Act, arguing that the entire migrant labour system is still governed under the outdated Immigration Act 1959/63 (Act 155) - a law drafted long before Malaysia started importing large numbers of migrant labour.