Activist: Over 100 Bangladeshi workers left in limbo in Cheras

Activist: Over 100 Bangladeshi workers left in limbo in Cheras

Published: Feb 25, 2024


Over 100 Bangladeshi migrant workers have allegedly been in limbo in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur for over three months after jobs promised to them failed to materialise, said migrant rights activist Andy Hall.

Hall said in a report that the 104 workers - who have been left jobless since arriving in the country in November last year - were recruited by a construction company based in Cheras.

According to the report, the workers had paid exorbitant recruitment fees - ranging between RM19,500 and RM21,700 - and were promised good facilities and high-paying jobs.

Most of the workers, the report said, resorted to borrowing money from various sources to afford the fees, subsequently plunging them into significant debt bondage.

One of the workers Hall interviewed said his financial challenges have piled up and his hopes to earn more to support his family have been shattered.

“I’m running into debt. I am unable to pay monthly instalments which I promised when I borrowed money from different sources.

“Lenders are threatening my family,” the worker was quoted as saying.

The report wrote that the workers live in a confined space with only one toilet facility for over 100 workers.

It also highlighted that there’s inadequate food for the workers as they are given a fixed menu of rice, lentils, and mashed potatoes and would be left without food for up to four days.

Another worker claimed he was not given food for up to four days as punishment after he had asked for updates on the expected job.


Threat of violence

The workers also mentioned that they witnessed and experienced physical and verbal abuse by their employers or the company’s representatives.

“A worker recounted the employer’s representative’s violent outbursts, including physical assaults and verbal tirades, perpetuating a climate of fear and intimidation.

“In addition to physical and verbal abuse, workers are subjected to menacing threats, creating an environment of extreme fear and insecurity,” Hall said.

The aforementioned representative, Hall wrote, is also one of the “Bangladeshi bosses” and has been reported to have issued chilling death threats, instilling terror among the workers.

The workers' passports were also confiscated by their employers upon arrival, leaving them vulnerable and unable to assert their rights or seek help.

“The threat of violence and harm, coupled with the workers’ vulnerable status, underscores the dire need for immediate intervention and protection measures to ensure their safety and well-being.”

It was also reported that the employers had moved 18 workers to Terengganu where the new accommodation housed about 300 workers who are mostly allegedly jobless and undocumented.


Ministries urged to take action

Hall has since written to the Human Resources Minister Steven Sim and related officials at the Home Ministry to investigate these new allegations and hold those in violation of the law accountable.

He urged the ministries to provide the necessary support and assistance to the affected workers, including remediation.

“Immediate intervention is necessary to provide these workers and victims of an alleged syndicate with basic rights, including employment, freedom of movement, access to healthcare, and the return of their legal documents,” he said.

Malaysiakini has reached out to Sim and Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail for comment.