"Stop hiring migrant workers until we can guarantee their safety," 05 March 2018

We, the undersigned civil society organisations, would like to express our condolences to the family and friends of Adelina Lisao, and call for the Malaysian government to immediately implement the recommendations by the Migrant Workers Right to Redress Coalition on the protection of migrant workers.

Beyond the plight suffered by domestic workers in Malaysia, migrant workers in other fields of work, such as the construction sector, have consistently suffered from disregard for occupational safety and health by their employers, which has led to tragedies such as the KL Eco City bridge, the landslide at Tanjung Bungah and hundreds other unreported incidents around the country.

...[W]e the undersigned civil society call for:

• A moratorium on the hiring of migrant worker in critical areas, such as those in domestic roles, until protection mechanism for migrant workers is implemented;
• Adoption of the recommendations by the Migrant Workers Right to Redress Coalition;
• Development of a timeline for implementation of above mentioned recommendations; and
• Stern criminal action to be taken against employers and those who abuse their workers or neglect to account for their occupational safety and health and the dignity of migrant workers.

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Note: The signatories are: 

• Ammpo -Sentro
• Atrahdom Guatemala
• Building and Wood Workers' International
• Centre for Alliance of Labor and Human Rights (Central) - Cambodia
• Christian Development Alternative (CDA), Bangladesh
• Electronics Industry Employees Union Southern Region (EIEUSR)
• Hoa Nguyen (Individual)
• International Domestic Workers Federation
• Jaringan Kampung Orang Asli Semenanjung Malaysia (JKOASM)
• Malaysian Election Observers Network
• Malaysian Trades Union Congress
• National Union of Bank Employees
• North South Initiative
• Parti Soisalis Malaysia
• Persatuan Sahabat Wanita
• Persatuan Komuniti Prihatin Selangor, KL & Perak endorse
• Pusat Komas
• Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram)
• Tenaganita
• Teoh Beng Hock Trust for Democracy
• Yayasan Lintas Nusa Batam - Indonesia