Putrajaya, Malaysia – The Malaysian Human Resources Ministry has announced the successful placement of 1,058 foreign workers with new employers as of November 9. These workers, who had been left jobless for over three months after being promised employment, have been assisted through a coordinated operation involving multiple government agencies.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the operation was conducted in collaboration with the Immigration Department and the police, under the aegis of a rescue committee formed by the Labour Department. This intervention was crucial to prevent the workers from falling prey to human trafficking or forced labor, a concern highlighted by the International Labour Organisation.

In addition to securing new job placements, the ministry has taken legal action against the employers who abandoned these workers. The actions are based on violations of the Employment Act 1955 and the Workers’ Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act 1990 (Act 446).

In a related development, the ministry revealed that the eighth meeting of the Joint Committee on Foreign Worker Management, in conjunction with the Home Ministry, agreed to freeze the intake of foreign workers in the cleanliness and washing subsectors. This decision was influenced by the fact that nearly half of the abandoned workers were from these specific subsectors.

Furthermore, the Human Resources Ministry stated that it would review the quota for foreign worker applications across all sectors and subsectors, including the two mentioned above.

The ministry affirmed its commitment to ongoing cooperation with all relevant departments and agencies to amplify operations and enforcement actions within its jurisdiction. This heightened enforcement and operational activity are aimed at ensuring a labor industry in Malaysia free from issues like abandoned workers and forced labor incidents.