Human Resources Ministry urges employers to act against forced labour
BUTTERWORTH: Employers, including government agencies, companies, industries, and individuals, have been urged to protect workers' rights and avoid any conduct which may result in exploitation or forced labour.
Human Resources Ministry deputy secretary-general (Operations) Sutekno Ahmad Belon said that exploitation and forced labour are no longer just labour or legal matters, but global humanitarian issues which every employer must take seriously.
"It also directly affects the country's reputation and international trade relations. For instance, the issuance of Withhold Release Orders (WRO) by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), on products linked to forced labour, is a very serious measure.
"Therefore, addressing this issue requires collective effort, and the implementation of the National Action Plan on Forced Labour (NAPFL) 2021-2025, jointly led by the National Strategy Office - Council for Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (NSO MAPO) and Peninsular Malaysia Labour Department, demonstrates the country's unified commitment to eradicating forced labour," he said.
He said this to reporters after officiating the Prevention of Labour Exploitation: Towards Zero Forced Labour 2030 Seminar, which was attended by more than 300 employers from various sectors, in Penang, today.
He added that the one-day seminar aimed to raise awareness on labour issues and forced labour, as well as to strengthen cooperation between the government, industry, and civil society in creating workplaces free from exploitation.
The seminar also focused on critical issues such as forced labour, compliance with labour laws, and the challenges faced by industries in ensuring justice and workers' welfare.
Sutekno added that there are 11 indicators of forced labour, including workers being confined or restricted, wages being withheld or illegally deducted, workers being threatened, forced to work overtime without pay, and workers not having access to their own documents.
Forced labour remains a challenge, because Malaysia, as an active player in global trade, hosts a large number of foreign workers, creating opportunities for exploitation if monitoring is not strict.
He noted that Malaysia is currently ranked at Tier 2 in the United States Department of State's 2024 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report but aims to reach Tier 1 by 2030. – BERNAMA
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
Malaysia stands firm on labour commitments
PUTRAJAYA: Human Resources Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong leads the Human Resources Ministry (Kesuma) delegation to Geneva, Switzerland to attend the International Labour Conference (ILC), organised by the International Labour Organization (ILO). Malaysia's participation in this annual conference reflects the country's ongoing commitment to ensuring that labour policies and legislation remain aligned with international standards. This effort is crucial to strengthening worker protection, enhancing workforce well-being, and promoting strategic collaboration in the area of human capital development. In Geneva, Sim is scheduled to deliver a general address at the ILC, in addition to meeting with his Asean counterparts and holding bilateral meetings with representatives from China, India, Nepal and Qatar. These engagements aim to strengthen cooperation on labour mobility and cross-border labour management issues. During this official mission, the Malaysian delegation will also be engaged in strategic discussions with various international stakeholders. Key focus areas include Malaysia's active involvement with the World Economic Forum (WEF), the launch of TalentCorp's national strategy to address talent issues and participation in the Gender Parity Accelerator initiative, which aims to increase women's participation in the national workforce. Through active participation and close relations with various international partners, Kesuma is confident that this official visit will have a positive impact in efforts to uplift the dignity of workers, strengthen the country's competitiveness and prepare Malaysia's workforce to face future economic challenges.
Daily Express
4 days ago
- Daily Express
One-Stop Labour Service Centre
Published on: Wednesday, June 04, 2025 Published on: Wed, Jun 04, 2025 Text Size: Steven Sim being welcomed by SMSU officials during the working visit. Kota Kinabalu: The Human Resources Ministry (Kesuma) will establish a One-Stop Labour Service Centre in Sabah as a new initiative to consolidate various employment-related services under one roof. Its Minister Steven Sim said the setting up the centre marks the latest step towards expanding this initiative throughout the country. 'We hope this one-stop centre will be realised in the months to come. 'All worker-related issues, whether concerning the Labour Department, Department of Industrial Relations Malaysia, Department of Trade Union Affairs, Perkeso (Social Security Organisation) and so on, can be referred to one place only. Workers no longer need to travel back and forth to various offices,' he said in a statement after making a working visit to the Sabah Medical Services Union (SMSU), here, Tuesday. Sim said the passing of the Sabah Labour Ordinance and Sarawak Labour Ordinance in Parliament last year was a major achievement for Kesuma because it was finally passed after being delayed for over 20 years. 'This step allows for the alignment of workers' rights and protection across the country. We cannot let workers in Sabah and Sarawak continue to lag behind in terms of protection. The success of amending these ordinances is not solely my effort but a collective one with the Malaysian Trade Union Congress, trade unions, the State Government and Kesuma officers. 'The Sabah Labour Ordinance (Amendment) Act 2025 and Sarawak Labour Ordinance (Amendment) Act 2025 have come into effect from May 1, 2025, except for Part IVA, which contains special provisions related to minimum standards for housing, accommodation and worker facilities,' he said. In the meantime, Sim hopes SMSU can increase its membership from 8,000 to 10,000, in line with the national target to double the number of union members from one million to two million. 'Joining the union means we strengthen the voice of the workers. With balanced bargaining power, only then will workers' welfare be more assured. 'To encourage participation in the union, Kesuma launched the Madani Employee Card initiative, which offers discounts ranging from 10 to 30 per cent at selected premises and businesses. 'Efforts to involve more companies are also actively being pursued to expand benefits for every member,' he said. SMSU President Ajulahin Japin said they appreciate the various reforms brought since Sim took the lead in Kesuma, especially involving the full enforcement of the Sabah Labour Ordinance on May 1 this year, as well as the official establishment of the Sabah Labour Advisory Council (SLAC) on May 13. Ajulahin also said he is among the 16 union representatives who received their appointment letters as permanent committee members, and that he has also been appointed to the permanent committee within the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) starting from May 1. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
The Sun
4 days ago
- The Sun
KESUMA to establish one-stop labour service centre in Sabah
KOTA KINABALU: The Human Resources Ministry (KESUMA) will establish a One-Stop Labour Service Centre in Sabah as a new initiative to consolidate various employment-related services under one roof. Its minister, Steven Sim said the setting up the centre in Sabah marks the latest step towards expanding this initiative throughout the country. 'We hope this one-stop centre will be realised in the months to come. 'All worker-related issues, whether concerning the Labour Department, Department of Industrial Relations Malaysia, Department of Trade Union Affairs, PERKESO (Social Security Organisation) and so on, can be referred to one place only Workers no longer need to travel back and forth to various offices,' he said in a statement after making a working visit to the Sabah Medical Services Union (SMSU) here today. Sim said that the passing of the Sabah Labour Ordinance and Sarawak Labour Ordinance in Parliament last year was a major achievement for KESUMA because it was finally passed after being delayed for over 20 years. 'This step allows for the alignment of workers' rights and protection across the country. We cannot let workers in Sabah and Sarawak continue to lag behind in terms of protection. The success of amending these ordinances is not solely my effort but a collective one with the Malaysian Trade Union Congress, trade unions, the state government and KESUMA officers. 'The Sabah Labour Ordinance (Amendment) Act 2025 and Sarawak Labour Ordinance (Amendment) Act 2025 have come into effect from May 1, 2025, except for Part IVA, which contains special provisions related to minimum standards for housing, accommodation and worker facilities,' he said. In the meantime, Sim hopes that SMSU can increase its membership from 8,000 to 10,000 in line with the national target to double the number of union members from one million to two million. 'Joining the union means we strengthen the voice of the workers. With balanced bargaining power, only then will workers' welfare be more assured. 'To encourage participation in the union, KESUMA launched the MADANI Employee Card initiative, which offers discounts ranging from 10 to 30 per cent at selected premises and businesses. Efforts to involve more companies are also actively being pursued to expand benefits for every member,' he also said. Meanwhile, SMSU president Ajulahin Japin said that they appreciate the various reforms brought since Sim took the lead in KESUMA, especially involving the full enforcement of the Sabah Labour Ordinance on May 1 this year, as well as the official establishment of the Sabah Labour Advisory Council (SLAC) on May 13. Ajulahin also said he is among the 16 union representatives who received their appointment letters as permanent committee members, and that he has also been appointed to the permanent committee within the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) starting from May 1.
