by Tenaganita (in response to a contentious statement by Dtk Tan Chai Ho)
STOP DENYING THE ABUSE OF DOMESTIC WORKERS
The abuse and exploitation of domestic workers especially Indonesian domestic workers has been a common story in the country.  Tenaganita has been receiving 3 cases a week of domestic workers particularly from Indonesia and Cambodia through our DW Actionline. The forms of abuse range from rape, different forms of physical abuse including use of electric shocks, denial of food, various forms of punishment like using of ones body to roll and mop the floor, denial of contact with family back home, and forms of psychological abuse. The forms of violence are getting worse with employers believing that they can get away with it as there are no clear laws to protect domestic workers.  All the domestic workers we rescued did not receive any wages at all for several months.
The various government agencies are well aware of it. Tenaganita has raised these issues many times with the government. But all efforts to state the truth has fallen on deaf ears. Therefore, it is indeed distressing and shameful to note that the Deputy Minister  Datuk Tan Chai Ho chooses to be in a state of denial.
Datuk Tan as Deputy Home Minister in fact is responsible for institutionalizing abuse and exploitation of domestic workers when the Ministry entered into a Memorandum of Understanding that completely denied Indonesian domestic workers from basic minimal forms of protection this year.  The Memorandum of Understanding did not state basic minimum wage, a weekly day of rest, work hours, forms of payment and deductions and gave employers the license to exploit and abuse domestic workers.
Datuk Tan knows for a fact that there are no mechanisms nor laws in place for the protection of domestic workers. He knows very well that the Home Minister, after signing the MOU stated that the Ministry would leave it to market forces to determine wages and conditions. In short, the government just washed their hands off from protecting basic fundamental rights of the most vulnerable group.  In so doing, the government has and is promoting the trafficking of women as bonded laborers for domestic work.
Tenaganita fully supports the statement of Mr. Jorge Bustamante, the UN Special Rapporteur for Migrants . We have enough evidence to show how the government promotes abuse and torture of domestic workers in the homes of Malaysians.  What action can the deputy Home Minister take when he has failed to put in place basic protective mechanisms? In fact, we hold him accountable for the trauma suffered and the various forms of violence and abuse faced by domestic workers in the country.
Dr. Irene Fernandez
Director
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TENAGANITA SDN BHD
Penthouse, Wisma MLS
No. 31 Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman
50100 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel: +603 2691 3691 / 2697 3671
Fax: +603 2691 3681
Email: tenaganita[at]yahoo.co.uk
Website: www.tenaganita.net
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