VOCR

9th July, 2010

Kuala Lumpur

by Salai CC & Simon

Cases of Chin refugee workers not getting their salary at several project sites, restaurants and other part of works have been enormously perturbing and hardening the work of the Chin communities, Malaysia.

A series report by Chin refugee members also reveal that many contractors taking advantages on the workers, who hold the UNHCR card, are mostly being recruited at construction sites. But most of construction workers are cheated and left unpaid until present.

In reality, the refugees are not allowed to work in the country, dozens of sub-contractors and entrepreneurs are in good taste to hire unemployed refugees to be recruited in their business grounds. By doing so, they can save thousands of bucks. But, the month-long-awaited salary are cheated and turned into what is most aggressive and agitating for the helpless people—fearing in awe even to loge a report to the police due to the fallshort of legal documentary evidence.

Unquestionable though it was, the refugees are convincingly aware that they cannot work in high-level paid section because of their documentations and fearing of the raid continuously carried out by the authority. Nonetheless, they have no other options but working illegally under low-paid as they do not receive any support for paying their medical bills, provisions, utility bills and other requirements (it speaks any basic needs and means).

Based on facts from observations and complaints of the workers, the Chin refugee committee assuredly said that 50 people those work in factory and construction site had made complaining reports on not receiving their worthwhile salary from the last three months and it is said to be up to RM 26,905 in cash.

The refugee office also described that those lives of refugee families as to facing wage-cheating by employers are badly affected in the basic struggle for living. In addition, it is so certain that it can mainstream by and large unsolvable huge problems among refugee families that can be assumed as domestic violence due to cash-strapped.

Furthermore, the employers abusively exploited refugees, according to the reports, based on the documentation problem found out. There seems to be at least work instability in case unwelcome refugees are equally denying going to work as reportedly around hundred and thousand refugees are working under low-paid standard, source UNHCR.

"That's where the problem lies. Main contractors may pay the subs, but who is there to ensure that they paid the workers on time or pay at all? That is the clear question to be questioned.

To be more precise, the sole contractors are able to scrutinize this provoking matter and they should stop doubly paying crooked sub-contractors or should take legal actions against them. Because it is an embarrassing and tarnishing the company image as well as the nation’s and surely it is ugly violating labor laws.