Migrant workers subjected to sordid living conditions for 3 months

AMPANG – Ten workers in Taman Melawati, who were tasked with slope reparations, were living in a small shack with no running water and sheltered from the elements only by tarpaulin sheets.

This was uncovered by residents who alleged that the workers were denied mattresses and pillows, while rubbish piled up around their shed that is next to a drain.

A Bangladeshi worker told The Vibes’ sister portal Getaran yesterday that he and his co-workers lived in squalid conditions for three months prior to their employer obtaining a house for them in Kepong.

“When I asked my boss about our living conditions, the excuse he gave was that he had tried to look for a rental house near the area but could not find any yet. We are not satisfied at all but what can we do? We are just workers who cannot afford to speak out.”

He added that the Kepong house was provided after Taman Melawati residents voiced their concerns, and the workers were told that the shed must be demolished.

Employees’ Minimum Standards of Housing, Accommodations and Amenities Act 1990 (Act 446) requires employers and providers of centralised accommodation to obtain certificates of accommodation from the Peninsular Malaysia Labour Department before a premises is allowed to become a lodging or boarding area for workers.

Offenders are liable for fines up to RM50,000.

Meanwhile, Taman Melawati Residents Association chairman Azhari Abdul Taharim said the issue highlights how there is a lack of monitoring by authorities.

He added that authorities, including the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council should seriously consider the matter because basic human rights should be respected.

When questioned if he had been informed about the workers being moved out of the shed, Azhari said that he had only come to know about the progress when the council told him that the workers had been ordered to demolish the shed.

“If there had not been any complaints, I am sure that the migrant workers would still be mistreated and living in the shed.” – The Vibes, April 6, 2022