PETALING JAYA: Funeral repatriation and 24-hour protection benefits under a scheme extended to foreign workers will help reduce their burden, say migrant rights groups.
However, they said the repatriation costs of RM4,500 under the Social Security Organisation Invalidity Scheme may not be enough.
Migrant labour rights group Our Journey director Sumitha Shaanthinni Kishna said there had been many incidents in which migrant workers died or were injured while off work, and this new initiative would help address their next of kin’s financial burdens.
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“This is definitely a welcome move. There are many incidents where migrant workers die or are injured at their hostel or during their days off, so this is indeed very helpful.
“This also puts the benefits accorded to migrant workers on par with those of Malaysians in accordance with ILO Convention 118 (Equality of Treatment (Social Security) Convention, 1962), which is, however, not ratified by Malaysia,” she said.
Sumitha added that NGOs had encountered many cases in which migrant workers died or were injured out of their employment hours and their next of kin were not compensated.
“It can be very difficult, especially when the worker or family members have no means to pursue a case in the civil court for compensation or when the worker is the sole breadwinner,” she said.MigrantCare country representative Alex Ong said the cost of body repatriation is inadequate, adding that RM4,500 might only be enough for Indonesia’s Java island, but not other islands from which Indonesian migrant workers originate.
“We suggest the repatriation be increased to around RM10,000 for foreign workers working in the peninsula and about RM18,000 for those in Sabah and Sarawak,” he said while welcoming the move.
Indonesian Domestic Workers Association coordinator Nasrikah Paidin agreed, saying that the allocated benefits of RM4,500 could only cover repatriation to certain areas of the country.
“As Indonesian territory consists of different islands, the costs might also vary.
“For example, repatriation of dead bodies of workers who come from East Nusa Tenggara (over 2,000km east of Jakarta) will be more expensive,” she said.
Nasrikah said the group had previously used crowdfunding for several cases of repatriation of their nationals.
“The cost was paid for by donations from the community, with some from family members. On average, it could cost up to RM5,000,” she added.
Lauding the move by the Malaysian government as “good news and a good decision”, Nasrikah also called for foreign domestic workers to be included under the Employment Act 1955 for their protection.
