Migrant Workers Association in Malaysia would like to announce that there will be a meeting according to the following date, time and place. MWA is an association that works for both refugees and migrant workers in Malaysia in terms of legal issue.
Date: May Day, 1st May 2009
Place: Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall
Time: from 3pm to 6pm.
Representatives from refugee community organizations in Malaysia are invited to attend the meeting. Please contact the following number for further information:
H/P 0169160018
Temme Lee of SUARAM and the Bar Council's Legal Aid Center,
Latheefa and Ms Renuka have arranged the venue for May 1st tentatively.
Concept Paper for Migrant Workers Association
In Malaysia the biggest problem which refugees are arrest and deported. Even women with their small babies are arrested and put them in detention camps for several weeks. Moreover, they are deported to Thai border where they are in serious danger of their safety since most human smugglers are drug addict men at the borders. There are still about 800 Chin refugees are in immigration camps including women and children. Due to our illegal status according Malaysia, most refugees who are also working are cheated by the employers for their wages. Due to the problems faced by the migrants in Malaysia, especially in light of the global economic crisis, an avenue for migrants to assert their rights, address issues pertaining to labor exploitation and legal protection has become increasingly crucial.
Through organization, training programs for empowerment and documentation of experiences, it is one of the objects of the project to create a labor organization akin to a trade union for migrants. A key aspect of the organization is that it will be divided into chapters according to languages spoken in sending countries. Organizations such as the Malaysian Trade Unions Congress and Building and Woodworkers International have expressed interest in affiliating with such an organization. The methodology of the project is that the steering of the association would be by migrants themselves with limited supervision by professionals from Suaram and the Bar Council Legal Aid Center.