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PETALING JAYA: Human Resources Minister M. Saravanan has dismissed a glove-manufacturing company’s denial that hundreds of its workers live in metal shipping containers in miserable conditions, which he had labeled “modern slavery.”
“Let them say what they want to say. We have enough evidence to enforce the rule of law.
“It is common for any employer to deny it, that (only) will force us to publish more photographs of the condition.
“Anyway, we had enough means of communication during the visit,” said Saravanan when contacted, who participated in a multi-agency raid on Brightway Holding’s Kajang subsidiary.
On Monday (December 21), ministry officials carried out the raid on a glove factory in Kajang, on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, where they found workers living in dirty and narrow shipping containers stacked behind the facility, according to previous media reports.
A ministry spokeswoman confirmed the reports, adding that 781 workers were employed at the factory, most of whom were migrants.
Authorities in the raid found that the factory owner had allegedly violated several laws, including the Law on Minimum Standards of Housing and Services for Workers (Law 446).
“We are looking at crimes. We hope they will do the necessary things that they are supposed to do, including testing for Covid-19,” Saravanan said.
The factory was ordered to close December 24-30 to help curb the spread of Covid-19.
Brightway Holdings Sdn Bhd had confirmed that the raid had taken place early Monday at its LA Glove subsidiary, but had denied that its workers lived in containers and said it had fewer workers than the number given by the spokesperson.
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