74 Bangladeshi workers win RM1.5mil in claims over unpaid wages
A file pic showing a workers' dormitory. The 74 workers claimed they were left stranded in Malaysia with no work or wages and had to endure poor living conditions. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA : A group of Bangladeshi workers has won more than RM1.5 million in claims from their former employer due to unpaid wages and other breaches of their employment contracts.
The Kuala Lumpur labour office had ordered Meranti Binamas Sdn Bhd to pay RM1.54 million to the 74 workers, who had lodged complaints through migrant rights group Tenaganita.
In a statement, Tenaganita official Abdul Aziz Ismail said this was a 'significant payout' and a major win for migrant rights which showed that employers could be held accountable for breaching the rights of foreign workers.
'It has been a long road but we finally have a decision and an order from the labour office. By ordering Meranti Binamas to pay the amounts due, the labour department has sent a clear message that employers cannot exploit workers with impunity.
'This is a significant achievement for the workers and for Tenaganita. It sets yet another precedent that even large, seemingly untouchable companies can be held accountable when workers stand united and demand justice,' he said.
Aziz urged the government to ensure the RM1.5 million is paid out in full quickly.
It was reported that the workers paid up to RM25,000 each to secure jobs but were left stranded in Malaysia with no work or wages and enduring poor living conditions after arriving here.
The workers had stayed in a crowded hostel in Pudu, KL, and went months without pay, with some said to have had suicidal thoughts.
The labour department's order is separate from a case now before the Shah Alam High Court.
In that suit, 33 workers are seeking RM1.71 million in damages, including the RM25,000 they each paid in fees to get to Malaysia and 18 months of wages they say they never received.
They also want the court to declare them victims of job fraud and to bar the immigration department from detaining or deporting them until the case is disposed of.
The suit names Meranti Binamas, the human resources ministry secretary-general, the immigration director-general, and the government as defendants. It was filed in March and is ongoing.
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