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KUALA LUMPUR: The government is introducing a new “secret” phone app for abused workers to file their complaints against employers without fear.
With the introduction of this multilingual app starting in January, the human resources ministry will be able to track unscrupulous employers who violate the rights of foreign workers, especially those who violate Covid-19 procedures.
Human Resources Minister M Saravanan said this app is also likely to stop the ‘whistleblower’ culture, citing a recent example of leaked information that led a wandering employer to swiftly drive away its employees ahead of a raid to verify a complaint that he had violated Covid -19 POE.
In elaborating, he said this involved a combined Klang Department of Labor and Health Department raid on a glove factory in Port Klang.
He said that no action could be taken in this case as the workers had been moved to another location before the control team arrived at the factory.
Saravanan said that to ensure that all foreign workers have access to this app, it will be available in the languages spoken by Nepalese, Bangladeshis and others from different countries.
“Starting in January we are going to be more aggressive.
“Currently, foreign workers do not have a direct link with the government and cannot inform us if they are being mistreated,” he said.
With this initiative, he said that foreign workers will have direct access to the government with their identity protected.
“This is to make it easier and safer for workers to have two-way communication with the government,” he added.
The Tapah MP spoke to reporters after handing out checks to 301 students, worth RM5.8 million from the MIC-owned Maju Educational Development Institute fund.
He said it was not the government’s intention to target employers, but wanted them to be accountable while educating workers about their rights so Malaysia could improve its position on the International Labor Organization’s index of forced labor.
