Employers housing workers in overcrowded, poor lodgings face RM50,000 fine

KAMPAR: Employers who allow their foreign workers to live in overcrowded and poor accommodations will face a fine of RM50,000 if found guilty under the Workers' Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities (Amendment) Act 2019 (Act 446).

Perak Manpower Department (JTK) director Muhamad Fauzi Abd Ghani said an integrated operation carried out on more than 30 housing units at the construction site here today found that the employer had housed workers in severely overcrowded conditions.

Besides allowing more than 300 foreign workers to stay in the dirty and poor lodgings, Muhamad Fauzi said the employer was also found to have failed to obtain accommodation certificates from the Department of Labour Peninsular Malaysia.

“Accommodation provided was not according to specifications, it was crammed, dirty and dilapidated. One housing unit accommodates more than 10 people so they used the living room for accommodation.

“There are also residential units that do not have beds and no mattresses provided with some workers sleeping on wooden boards,” he told reporters at the site of the inspection here today.

Commenting further, Muhamad Fauzi said as follow-up action, JTK Perak will call the employer to record a statement and gather further evidence on the matter before being charged in court.

He said the operation was carried out to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Perak.

Several agencies including the Health Department, the Police, Perak Department of Occupational Safety and Health and the Social Security Organisation (Socso) also participated in the operation which started at 9.30 am today.

-- BERNAMA