We hosted a second roundtable on combatting modern slavery in the supply chain in Malaysia, a collaboration with PwC and the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur.
The session further explored the three key areas in the workforce ecosystem from the previous session: hiring, repatriation, and termination, with an added focus on grievance mechanisms.
Governance and Compliance Issues
Concerns were raised about Malaysia’s lack of governance in addressing modern slavery, especially with its heavy reliance on foreign workers. Unlike the UK, which has the Modern Slavery Act 2015, Malaysia has yet to implement a similar law.
Ministry and Industry Efforts
The Ministry of Human Resources (MOHR) plans to have the Department of Labour review the raised issues. MATRADE emphasised ongoing programmes addressing foreign hiring practices in collaboration with other ministries. Some companies only meet minimal compliance standards based on UK laws.
Workshop Summary
A workshop on talent management highlighted issues like excessive working hours, lack of breaks, and limited access to personal documents, all contributing to poor worker performance. The discussion also emphasised the need for effective grievance mechanisms to protect employees. Key points included:
- Challenges with migrant worker visas
- Recruitment fees
- Repatriation processes
- Protecting supply chain workers
- Roundtable Insights
A roundtable explored the public sector’s role in combating modern slavery, emphasising better internal requirements for companies and the importance of including foreign workers in daily discussions. The need for social protection knowledge, effective grievance mechanisms, and a strong corporate culture to combat modern slavery was also highlighted.
