Singapore’s rioting serves as wake up call to Malaysia, says MTUC - Bernama
The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) has called on the Human Resource Ministry to hold a tripartite meeting between the government, employers and employees to work out a strategy to prevent rioting by foreign workers.
Its president, Khalid Atan, said a recent foreign workers riot in Singapore should serve as a wake-up call to Malaysia in preparing a strategy to anticipate and contain such an occurrence.
Growing discontent among foreign workers in Malaysia due to poor working conditions, discrimination and low wages are like a "time bomb", he said, adding so far dissatisfactions among foreign workers in the country were confined to factories and work places.
Khalid felt that if a widespread discontent among foreign workers was not addressed, it could spell trouble for the country in years to come.
He said the MTUC felt that the government should take steps to reduce and even curtail recruitment of foreign workers until it could come out with a plan to cater to their basic needs and rights.
The government should also stop outsourcing companies from importing workers who then fail to find jobs here, he added.
Last Sunday, about 400 South Asian migrant workers angered by an accident, battled the police and set vehicles ablaze in Singapore's worst rioting in decades, leaving 39 policemen and emergency workers injured.
The rampage erupted in the crowded Little India after an Indian national was killed by a private bus driven by a Singaporean. - Bernama, December 12, 2013.
