Malaysian firm faces legal action for abandoning 93 Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia last year
The workers have been rescued and brought to the Putrajaya Immigration Department for a documentation process before being taken to the magistrate to obtain interim protection orders
Malaysian firm Pembinaan Ricoler Sdn Bhd is facing legal action by the country's home ministry and the human resources ministry for abandoning 93 of its Bangladeshi workers brought into the country in November 2023.
Both ministries launched investigations into the matter after media reports on the abandoned workers were published on 22 February.
These investigations revealed that the workers were abandoned without work or accommodation by their employer, reports the Malay Mail.
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"The employer also failed to ensure the welfare of its workers in terms of accommodation and meals," Malaysian Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and Human Resource Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong said in a joint statement yesterday (26 February).
The workers were rescued and brought to the Putrajaya Immigration Department for a documentation process before being taken to the magistrate to obtain interim protection orders, they said.
The employer is facing six charges under the Employees' Minimum Standards of Housing, Accommodations and Amenities Act 1990, the Employment Act 1955, Section 12 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 and the Passport Act 1966.
"Our ministries are issuing a stern warning to all employers who hire foreign workers to always maintain their welfare and to comply with the laws of the country," they added.
