AN URGENT APPEAL TO THE MALAYSIAN GOVERNMENT TO STOP THE CRACKDOWN ON UNDOCUMENTED MIGRANT WORKERS

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Prime Minister of Malaysia.
Federal Government Administration Center
Bangunan Perdana Putra
62502 Putrajaya
Malaysia
Telephone : 603 - 8888 8000
Fax : 603 - 8888 3444
Email : ppm@pmo.gov.my

Dear Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi,

We, the Migrant Forum in Asia, a network of 230 migrant organizations and advocates from 13 countries in Asia, are very much concerned by your government’s crackdown on illegal migrant workers in Malaysia. Hundreds and thousands of undocumented migrant workers are fleeing the border or hiding from the 20,000 immigration officials, soldiers and police officers you have deployed for the crackdown.

Migrant workers come to Malaysia not only for the simple reason of augmenting their income and seeking better economic opportunities. A big number of migrant workers come to Malaysia leave their home countries to escape armed conflict as well.

The United Nations Convention on the Protection of the Rights of Migrant Workers and members of their families state that migrant workers have the right to liberty and security of person; right to protection from cruel and inhuman punishment; right to legal personality and recognition as a person before the law; right to representation, consultation and protection from discrimination and exploitation. The crackdown on migrant workers negates all the above mentioned rights. As a member of the United Nations we would like to remind you of your responsibility to protect the rights of migrant workers.

We are deeply concerned by the Malaysian Government’s recruitment of more than 300,000 volunteers and the promise of cash rewards, 80 ringgit or US$ 21, for each undocumented migrant worker they can apprehend under the operation codenamed “OPS TEGAS”. We are alarmed that your Government has given these volunteers the right to carry guns and search properties without warrants.

The massive crackdown has resulted to human rights violations especially among women and children. As signatory to the UN Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Convention on Children’s Rights we would like to remind you of your commitment to uphold the rights and well being of women and children

We believe that the deployment of almost 500,000 immigration officials, police officers and volunteers will lead to more violence and the cruel treatment of migrant workers.

We, the members of the Migrant Forum in Asia, are also concerned about the non-payment of wages of illegal migrant workers since the announcement of the crackdown. A big number of migrant workers who went home during the amnesty period were not given their salaries. Almost a hundred thousand Indonesian migrant workers who were not paid their wages are still detained in Malaysia.

Migrant workers form the backbone of Malaysia’s menial work force, sustaining the construction industry and plantations. Migrant workers also take on low paying jobs in restaurants and domestic work, jobs Malaysians won’t take. Amidst the massive human rights violations of migrant workers by the Malaysian Government, we, the undersigned strongly urge the Malaysian government to:

The Migrant Forum in Asia
Secretariat Address:
59 B Malumanay St. Teachers Village
Diliman, Quezon City Philippines
Tel no: (632) 4333505
Telefax (632) 4331292
E-mail: mfa@pacific.net.hk