Employers in Malaysia failed to meet standard housing requirements
- Claire Lee
Some 73.9%, or a total of 10,961 Malaysian employers failed to comply with the minimum standards for housing inspections conducted by the Labour Department (JTK) from February 1 to April 15.
“Of the total employers inspected, 3,874 or 26.1% of them met [the criteria], while others still failed to comply with the act. Inspections were also carried out on 616,216 workers, namely, 572,518 foreign workers and 43,698 local workers,” said Deputy Human Resources Minister, Datuk Awang Hashim, reports Bernama.
“A total of 625 investigation papers were opened for various offences, including accommodation not certified by the JTK director-general, non-compliance with local authority laws and not providing rest and dining areas to employees,” he told reporters.
The employers were found to have violated the Workers’ Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act 1990 (Act 446). The minister added that this requires that the facilities provided be safe and conducive for every employee, regardless of whether they are locals or foreigners.
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“All employers are expected to abide by the law in order to protect the safety and lives of their employees. This also coincides with the current situation where many positive COVID-19 cases occur among foreign workers due to, among others, lack of good sanitation facilities and accommodation was not managed properly,” he added.
