KULIM: The Peninsular Malaysia Labour Department has found that only 50% of employers are complying with the Workers’ Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities (Amendment) Act 2019 (Act 446).
Deputy director-general (operation) Mohd Asri Abd Wahab said employers who had not done so need to improve their workers’ welfare in terms of health, hygiene, and safety of accommodation.
"I hope they can come forward and seek advice from the Labour Department to ensure workers' accommodation provided by them meets the requirements outlined in the Act,” he told reporters after Op Walit, where eight shoplots used as foreign workers' hostels were inspected in Taman Tiram, near here Sunday (Oct 29).
"Today’s Op focused on whether employers providing these shoplot accommodations have acquired the Certificate of Fitness for Occupation (CFO) or at least applied for one.
"Today’s inspection found that the accommodations provided do not have CFOs from the Labour Department, in fact, there were not even any record of applications for a certificate as stated in Act 446,” he said.
He said 23 investigation papers were opened on Sunday involving several offences under Act 446, such as not providing beds, mattresses, locked cupboards, and toilets, which is punishable by a fine of up to RM50,000 for each offence.
This year alone, Mohd Asri said the department had opened 392 investigation papers, with 284 cases issued compounds amounting to RM2.71mil.
Sunday’s Op Walit was conducted by the Peninsular Malaysia Labour Department in collaboration with the Kedah Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), and Social Security Organisation (Socso) and involved 30 enforcement officers. - Bernama
