Latest news with #Tenaganita
Free Malaysia Today
18 hours ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
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.
New Straits Times
20 hours ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Tenaganita commends RM1.55 million payout order to Bangladeshi workers
KUALA LUMPUR: Human rights organisation Tenaganita has commended a recent decision by the Kuala Lumpur Labour Department, which ordered Meranti Binamas Sdn Bhd to pay nearly RM1.55 million in unpaid wages and related violations to 74 Bangladeshi migrant workers. The payment, totaling RM1,548,000, follows claims filed by the workers through Tenaganita for unpaid wages and related labour violations. Tenaganita executive director Glorene A Das said the latest development represents a significant step forward in the fight for justice and dignity for migrant workers in Malaysia. "The decision affirms that employers must be held accountable for their obligations and that the rights of workers, particularly migrant workers who are often silenced and made invisibilise, must be asserted without compromise," she said in a statement. The case saw the workers, including lead claimant Md Kabir Hossain, pay exorbitant recruitment fees of up to RM25,000 to secure jobs promised under official permits. However, upon arrival in Malaysia, they were left without employment, wages, or adequate living conditions, exposed to legal risks and mental distress. The workers lived for months in overcrowded and unsanitary hostels in Pudu, without income or support, some even contemplating suicide due to the desperation they endured. The case was led by Tenaganita's consultant and lead case officer Abdul Aziz bin Ismail. Aziz, in response to the decision said; "It has been a long and winding road, but we finally have a decision and an order from the Labour Department. 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." By ordering Meranti Binamas Sdn Bhd to pay the amounts due, the department has sent a clear message that employers cannot exploit workers with impunity." Such a case was not isolated. "Tenaganita has documented hundreds of similar cases involving fraud, deception, and labour rights violations under the pretense of legal recruitment. We raised these issues in our International Migrants Day 2024 statement, highlighting the systemic failures that have plagued Malaysia's labour migration governance. "Tenaganita continues to urge the government to ensure that the payment is made promptly and in full, and that systemic reform is undertaken to prevent similar abuses in the future. We also call on the authorities to take proactive steps to identify other affected workers and ensure they too have access to redress.
Free Malaysia Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
M'sian Bar joins calls for stronger legal protection for domestic workers
The Malaysian Bar said domestic workers should enjoy equal rights and protections as all other categories of workers. PETALING JAYA : The Malaysian Bar has joined growing calls for the government to strengthen legal protections for domestic workers. Bar president Ezri Abdul Wahab said many domestic workers remained exposed to 'systemic vulnerabilities' as they were still excluded from fundamental safeguards provided under Malaysian labour laws. 'Despite the essential nature of their work in supporting households, communities, and the broader economy, many remain unprotected, underpaid, and vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. 'The Malaysian Bar calls for the full legal recognition and protection of domestic workers under Malaysian labour laws, ensuring that they enjoy equal rights and protections as all other categories of workers,' he said. His remarks came in the wake of renewed calls by migrant rights group Tenaganita for standalone legislation to protect domestic workers, following the recent rescue of an abused Indonesian domestic worker. Domestic workers are excluded from key provisions of the Employment Act 1955, leaving them outside the scope of standard labour protections enjoyed by workers in other sectors. Ezri also urged the government to ratify the ILO Domestic Workers Convention 2011 and enact a dedicated law for domestic workers in light of the unique nature of their work in comparison to the formal employment sector. 'The government should standardise employment contracts and issue specific regulations for domestic work,' he said. 'These measures fall within the powers of the human resources minister and do not require parliamentary approval; therefore, they can be implemented without delay,' he added. He also reiterated the Bar's long-standing position that domestic workers must be respected, protected, and empowered through legal recognition and comprehensive reform.
Free Malaysia Today
12-06-2025
- Free Malaysia Today
Tenaganita renews calls for standalone legislation to protect domestic workers
An abused domestic worker from East Java was recently rescued by the Indonesian embassy, with the help of Subang Jaya police, after her written plea for help was found by a neighbour. PETALING JAYA : Migrant rights group Tenaganita has renewed calls for the introduction of standalone legislation to protect domestic workers following the rescue of an abused Indonesian woman from a house on Monday. Currently, domestic workers are excluded from key protections under the 1955 Employment Act, leaving them outside the full scope of labour standards afforded to other sectors. 'We need a standalone, comprehensive legislation for domestic workers, one that provides enforceable rights, guarantees fair working conditions, mandates accountability for employers and recruitment agencies, and recognises domestic work as real work under the law,' Tenaganita said in a statement. 'The continued absence of such legislation is a failure of our duty to uphold human dignity and to protect the vulnerable. 'Abuse, exploitation, and violence must never be the price someone pays for simply trying to earn a living.' Muliani (pseudonym), who hails from East Java, was rescued by the Indonesian embassy in Kuala Lumpur and Subang Jaya police after her written plea for help was found by a neighbour. The embassy has summoned the Malaysian agency that recruited Muliani to hold it accountable for negligence in monitoring the welfare of their workers. In 2023, Indonesian ambassador Hermono said that about 90% of the complaints received by the republic's embassy relate to abuse experienced by Indonesian domestic workers in Malaysia.
The Star
12-06-2025
- The Star
Take action to protect domestic workers in Malaysia, urges Tenaganita
PETALING JAYA: The government must take immediate and effective measures to protect domestic workers, says a human rights group following reports of yet another exploitation case in Subang Jaya. Tenaganita executive director Gloria Dass said that while the swift actions by the Subang Jaya police and the Indonesian embassy were commendable, a decisive and urgent response from the government is needed to put an end to the exploitation of foreign domestic workers. 'The continued absence of such legislation is a failure of our duty to uphold human dignity and protect the vulnerable. 'Abuse, exploitation, and violence must never be the price someone pays for simply trying to earn a living,' she said in a statement on Thursday (June 12). Previously, it was reported that the Indonesian Embassy rescued one of its citizens, who was allegedly abused by her employer in Subang Jaya. The victim, Muliani (not her real name), penned a note asking for help from a neighbour, expressing that she was no longer able to endure the working conditions. The neighbour had reportedly contacted Indonesian envoy Hermono, who then immediately filed a police report with the Subang Jaya police. Police, along with embassy staff, rushed to the employer's residence. It was learned that Muliani had been working for over a year there, tasked with caring for the elderly and doing household chores from 5.30am to 10.30pm. Dass said that Muliani's experience was not an isolated case. 'Muliani's experience, working from dawn until night with no rest, constantly demeaned and verbally abused, reflects a grim reality faced by many domestic workers across Malaysia. 'These women are invisible to the public, yet they care for our homes, our elderly, and our children. Their work sustains families, yet they remain among the most exploited and unprotected groups in our society,' she said.
