When Malaysia went into lockdown in March 2020, cases of employers violating the rights of migrant workers raised significantly. These violations included unfair termination, unpaid wages, poor living conditions, and more. In addition, movement control orders carried out by government officials arrested undocumented migrants, which lead to an outbreak in detention centers. In this Voices conversation, Sumitha Shaanthinni Kishna, the Director of Our Journey and the current Chair of the Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA), speaks to IHRB's Guna Subramaniam about the pandemic's impact on migrants workers in Malaysia and what businesses should do to alleviate their vulnerability.
Jump-to points:
(03:20) The work of Our Journey in Malaysia
(4:40) The impact of the pandemic on migrant workers in Malaysia
(07:00) The additional burden on women
(8:44) The risks for businesses in the absence of effective enforcement of migrant workers' rights
(12:00) The active role of businesses and what businesses should do to avoid unethical recruiting
(24:45) The need to strengthen the collaboration between civil society and business