In a striking exposure of human rights abuses, the plight of trafficked Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia has been brought to light, underlining the government’s failure in scrutinizing the authenticity of companies applying for foreign worker quotas. The labyrinth of forced labour and human trafficking has been revealed by migrant labour rights activist, Andy Hall, and Adrian Pereira of North-South Initiative, who have pointed fingers at the lax regulations that have paved pathways for such exploitation.

The revelation surfaced following the arrest of 171 Bangladeshi workers in Johor, who were protesting against their agents for failing to deliver the promised jobs. Saiful Nassob, a Bangladeshi in Johor Baru, recounted his ordeal of being cheated by a recruitment agency, leading to poor living conditions and broken job promises. His story echoes the experiences of many other victims, exposing a deep-rooted network of deceit and exploitation…

The Human Resources Ministry, now spearheaded by Steven Sim, has vowed to assist the victimized workers on a humanitarian basis while investigating the matter. However, this assurance comes against a backdrop of perceived negligence by the government, with the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) labeling the migrant worker recruitment system as ‘legalized modern slavery and human trafficking’…