Peter John Jaban
KUCHING (March 30): The Sarawak government needs to come up with long-term solutions to address migrant workers who are brought into the state but end up trapped by human traffickers, said activist Peter John Jaban.
The Global Human Rights Federation of Malaysia deputy president said over the years, he has dealt with multiple cases of human trafficking and has noticed an increase in cases of migrants being brought into the state to work on the promises of unscrupulous agents and employers.
“The agents in Indonesia will tell them that they will be provided with a certain type of work with a proper work permit. But when they arrive, they are ‘sold’ from one agent to another.
“Some of them end up working unregistered in terrible conditions. Many end up working on construction sites, plantations, coffee shops and private homes.
“They are not given the same standard of care that Sarawakian employees can expect,” he said in a statement Friday.
Peter said he has personally met many victims who did not receive any salary for up to five months due to them having to settle their agent fees which were paid upfront.
“They are forced to stay under threat of being reported to the authorities. I advise employers not to accept approaches from agents who are bringing in workers under a social visit pass.”
Peter said just this past week, he received a call from a distressed father looking for his 18-year-old daughter who was trapped in Kuching.
“I would like to thank and applaud the joint team from the Sarawak Police Contingent and Kuching district police headquarters, Sungai Maong police station, and Kuching district Special Branch for rescuing the girl in a raid on a house in the Hui Sing Garden area on March 28 at 8.30pm,” he said.
In this regard, he suggested that the police, Immigration Department and Indonesian Consulate form a task force to help victims of forced labour practices and human trafficking in Sarawak.
Peter also said the police and Immigration Department should carry out large-scale operations against agents and employers of undocumented migrants working in the state.
With Sarawak relying heavily on migrant labour across multiple sectors, he said the state government must ensure proper systems to bring people in safely and securely so that everyone can benefit.
“The way we treat our workers is a reflection of our society. We must ensure they are paid fair wages and provided with proper conditions, otherwise our reputation will be ruined.
“Migrant labour should not be seen as a way to undercut Sarawak employment regulations, making the agents richer and leaving the workers in poverty,” he said.
