Coronavirus: Malaysia’s law delay on improving migrant worker housing criticised
- The government was supposed to enforce rule changes in June to boost the quality of worker lodgings, but has delayed it for three months
- The move comes as Malaysia records a surge in virus clusters from areas such as construction sites, sparking fears for the estimated 5.5 million migrant workers
The government was supposed to begin enforcing amendments to the Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act in June, but this has been put off for three months to “give space to employers to make necessary preparations”, said Human Resources Minister M. Saravanan on Wednesday.
His comments drew sharp criticism by advocacy groups including the Malaysian Trades Union Congress, which described the decision as “irresponsible”.
The amendments address guidelines on housing for foreign workers, who make up about 15 per cent of the Malaysian workforce.
Most of the estimated 5.5 million migrant workers hail from Indonesia, Bangladesh and Nepal, and more than half of them are undocumented. They commonly work in sectors such as construction, security and manufacturing – jobs that employers refer to as “3D”: dangerous, dirty and difficult.
Activists say many of these workers are subject to numerous human rights violations, from non-payment of wages by unscrupulous bosses to physical abuse, trafficking and debt bondage.
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Migrant workers also often live in overcrowded and cramped accommodation, including old shipping containers or small rooms, or share houses meant for a family.