KUALA LUMPUR: The government is considering having an Act that specifically governs domestic workers.
Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran (pix) said the government is in the midst of discussing the matter with relevant stakeholders.
“The act is important to govern domestic workers,“ he said during a question-and-answer session after attending the National Conference on Anti-Trafficking in Persons here today.
He said that a standalone act would protect domestic workers by ensuring proper working hours, holidays, salaries as well as insurance.
However, he said that the legislation might take a long time before it can be tabled.
On the question of refugees, Kulasegaran said the government had yet to make a decision on whether to allow refugees to work in the country.
“We should not overlook what was in the Pakatan Harapan manifesto itself, that we should allow refugees to be employed here,” he said.
“If you ask me, yes, I think they should be allowed to work here, at least until they are resettled in third countries, ” he said.
He said such a move would avoid refugees being exploited.
Refugees are not allowed to work here legally but many of them somehow work in informal sectors in 3D (dangerous, dirty and difficult) jobs.
According to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), most of them work in the horticulture, agriculture, construction, and cleaning sectors.
As of June, there were more than 170, 000 refugees and asylum seekers registered with UNHCR in Malaysia.
In its manifesto for the 14th General Election in May last year, Pakatan said that it would ratify the 1951 International Convention on refugees so that refugees who escape from war-torn countries and arrive in Malaysia are given proper assistance.
Malaysia is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention or the 1967 Protocol.
