Malaysia mulls action against contractors
Thursday, 23 October 2008
The Malaysian authorities in Sungai Petani would take legal action against a construction contractor for not submitting details of 96 Bangladeshi workers to the Labour Department, reports UNB.
According to an online report, Sungai Petani Labour Office senior assistant director Mohd Jarjis Abdullah said Tuesday that the contractor who engaged the workers since October 8 last year, had failed to submit their personal details to his office.
He said under Section 60K (1) of the Employment Act 1955, those allowed to hire foreign workers should submit details of the workers to the Labour Department within 14 days of the recruitment by filling in the PA/98 form.
"Even if they are allowed by the home ministry to recruit foreign workers, it is an offence not to submit details of the workers to our department," Mohd Jarjis said in an interview with the star.com.
He said the offence carried a fine of up to RM10,000 if convicted.
The contractor, who secured a two-year contract to hire the workers, was also found to have deducted RM100 in monthly levy from the workers for the past one year without written approval from the Labour Department, he said.
Any deduction of levy from foreign workers should be done only after obtaining written approval from his department, the labour official said, adding that the offence under the same Act carried the same penalty.
The official said his department found these out after 40 of the workers, all men in their early 20s staying in Sungai Petani, lodged a report at his office on October 6 alleging that they were not given proper jobs and wages as promised.
Mohd Jarjis said the workers, who were paid RM21 daily, had also alleged that there were times when they were not given any work for days.
"Under the labour laws, they should be given work for 26 days in a month. We are now investigating their complaints," he said.
According to an online report, Sungai Petani Labour Office senior assistant director Mohd Jarjis Abdullah said Tuesday that the contractor who engaged the workers since October 8 last year, had failed to submit their personal details to his office.
He said under Section 60K (1) of the Employment Act 1955, those allowed to hire foreign workers should submit details of the workers to the Labour Department within 14 days of the recruitment by filling in the PA/98 form.
"Even if they are allowed by the home ministry to recruit foreign workers, it is an offence not to submit details of the workers to our department," Mohd Jarjis said in an interview with the star.com.
He said the offence carried a fine of up to RM10,000 if convicted.
The contractor, who secured a two-year contract to hire the workers, was also found to have deducted RM100 in monthly levy from the workers for the past one year without written approval from the Labour Department, he said.
Any deduction of levy from foreign workers should be done only after obtaining written approval from his department, the labour official said, adding that the offence under the same Act carried the same penalty.
The official said his department found these out after 40 of the workers, all men in their early 20s staying in Sungai Petani, lodged a report at his office on October 6 alleging that they were not given proper jobs and wages as promised.
Mohd Jarjis said the workers, who were paid RM21 daily, had also alleged that there were times when they were not given any work for days.
"Under the labour laws, they should be given work for 26 days in a month. We are now investigating their complaints," he said.