Latest news with #Glorene
The Star
4 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Tenaganita slams Guan Eng over remarks on minimum wage for foreign workers
KLANG: Human Rights NGO Tenaganita has lambasted DAP's Lim Guan Eng for his recent statement regarding wages and remuneration for foreign workers. Lim had said in Parliament recently there wasn't a need for the government to implement minimum wage as well as Employees Provident Fund (EPF) contributions for foreign workers as Malaysia was not bound by any international labour conventions to do so. Tenaganita executive director Glorene Das said Lim's statement was "tone deaf" and "reinforced the dehumanisation" of foreign workers and "legitimises exploitative employment practices" among others. 'Migrant workers form the backbone of Malaysia's key industries, from construction, manufacturing, and plantations to food processing and cleaning services. 'They undertake some of the most dangerous, dirty, and difficult jobs, sometimes deadly, that Malaysians refuse to do, often under unsafe and exploitative conditions. 'To suggest they do not 'deserve' a minimum wage or social security is to validate and support slavery," Glorene said. According to Glorene, Tenaganita's research and case documentation indicated there was a prevalence of foreign workers being treated unfairly in regard to proper wages and overtime payments as well as exposure to risky working conditions. She added that denying EPF contributions for migrant workers deprived them of long-term jobs as well as post-retirement security. 'The exclusion of migrant workers from wage protection and social security reduces human beings to tools that are disposable, replaceable, and silenced," said Glorene. She added that all workers, including migrant workers, must be equally protected and said that employers EPF contributions must also be made mandatory for all foreign workers.
Malaysian Reserve
04-06-2025
- General
- Malaysian Reserve
NGO calls for deeper probe into trafficking networks behind KLIA detainee case
By GLORIA HARRY BEATTY HUMAN rights non-profit organisation Tenaganita is urging authorities to go beyond border enforcement and investigate trafficking networks behind the arrival of 279 foreign nationals who were denied entry by the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) division of the Border Control Agency (AKPS) on June 2. According to a recent statement by AKPS, this is the highest single-day record of Not-To-Land (NTL) cases since the KLIA Monitoring Team was established in 2023. The removal is part of AKPS's ongoing efforts to tighten border security. All individuals involved were ordered to return to their countries of origin immediately following documentation and further screening by its officers. Tenaganita ED Glorene Amala Das welcomed immigration authorities' use of intelligence tools to scrutinise travellers at the point of entry but warned that enforcement alone is not enough. 'It is encouraging to note that immigration authorities are using intelligence and available systems to assess incoming individuals against proper entry requirements, rather than allowing entry without sufficient scrutiny. 'However, while enforcement at the point of entry is important, it is equally critical to investigate and identify the networks facilitating these movements. We must ask: Who arranged for them to come? What agencies or individuals were involved on both ends, particularly in Malaysia?' she told the Malaysian Reserve. Glorene pointed out that these arrivals do not happen in isolation and are often Malaysian-based recruiters, agents, or companies complicit in enabling their travel and planned employment here. The group's years of work with migrant workers and trafficking victims reveal a pattern of deception by recruitment agents and companies operating in Malaysia and abroad. 'At Tenaganita, we have worked with many migrant workers and victims of trafficking who were deceived by false recruitment promises. Some sold their family lands or took on huge debts with the hope of decent work in Malaysia, only to find themselves exploited, undocumented, and abandoned. 'We hope that thorough investigations are underway to expose and hold accountable those who facilitated this attempt to enter Malaysia under dubious pretenses. Many of the individuals may have been victims of deception and coercion,' she cautioned. Glorene also urged that those detained be allowed to return home safely and share their experiences to raise awareness in their communities to prevent further exploitation. As the group continues its efforts to protect the rights of migrant workers and victims of trafficking, it believes accountability and systemic reform must go hand in hand with enforcement.
