Child labour in plantations: RM5 million for comprehensive study - Mah

A comprehensive study on labour in the country's plantation sector will be carried out to correct international perception on the existence of child and forced labour.

Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Mah Siew Keong said Malaysia would cooperate with the International Labor Organization (ILO), an international organisation to carry out the study.

He said the cabinet had allocated RM5 million to the ministry to carry out a comprehensive study in order to remove Malaysia's name from the 'List of Goods Produced by Child Labour or Forced Labour', issued by the United States' Department of Labour since 2014.

"Malaysia has never exploited child labour or forced labour in the plantation sector in the country. It is a wrong perception.

"The ILO, a recognised agency, is the best agency to work with to clear our name from the list. We need to convince (the US) to remove Malaysia from the list," he said during a press conference here today.

-- BERNAMA