PETALING JAYA: The Labour Department will take a more prominent role when taking action against employers guilty of forced labour practices, says the Human Resources Ministry.
The ministry said the Labour Department would conduct more inspections and ensure more prosecutions are made against employers who commit such offences.
In a statement on Friday (June 16), the ministry said it welcomed Malaysia's Tier 2 classification in the US State Department's Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report 2023.
It said this was in line with the ministry's continuous efforts and commitment to deal with forced labour issues.
The ministry also said it was aware of and took issues stated in the report seriously and would continue to tackle forced labour problems using several measures.
Among them, the ministry said it would improve social protection and labour aspects for foreign workers (including domesti workers) with focus on the plantation sector and the glove manufacturing industry.
Other measures include amending the Employment Act 1955, which took effect on Jan 1 this year, by adding Section 90B about forced labour.
This clause specifies penalties for employers who commit forced labour crimes.
"Other steps were increasing labour rights and social protection knowledge among foreign domestic workers through collaboration with embassies and domestic workers' groups.
"Another measure is enhancing international cooperation with the United States by establishing a joint working committee.
"This initiative will improve the country's image while also ensuring that local products are not subject to sanctions (Withhold Release Order or WRO) imposed by the United States Customs and Border Protection Department due to forced labour," it said.
The ministry will also increase the efforts to implement the National Action Plan on Forced Labour (NAPFL) 2021-2025 with the cooperation of representatives from trade unions, employers' federations and industries following the ratification of the 2014 Protocol to the International Labour Organisation Forced Labour Convention 1930.
Another step is to manage foreign workers efficiently by having strategic cooperation with source countries.
