FOREIGN WORKERS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO SET UP ASSOCIATION, SAYS SUHAKAM

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 11 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) Monday asked the government to allow foreign workers in the country to set up associations where they could voice out their problems with their employers.

Suhakam Ccmmissioner N.Siva Subramaniam said that other countries had
allowed such establishments to be formed and had had very little problem with
it.

Besides, he said, the association would enable the foreign workers to lodge
their complaints in a formal way.

"Why should we be afraid? It's nothing. It's not like setting up a secret
society or anything like that. It's just an appropriate channel for them to
voice out problems when they are neglected by their employers," he told
reporters after attending a round-table meeting with workers' unions here today.

He also reiterated that Suhakam had been deluged with complaints regarding
the rights of the workers, both local and foreign.

He said said that even though many of worker's rights violation cases had
been solved by Cuepacs, the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC), Tenaganita
and the Malaysian Bar Council, the problems kept recurring and staining the
country's good name.

"At least two cases on worker's right were reported (to Suhakam) daily," he
said, adding that the problems included service termination, violation of job
agreement, salary, and slavery.

Meanwhile, MTUC secretary-general G. Rajasekaran said that last year alone,
the congress received 1,200 complaints from the workers regarding unpaid salary.

The one-day meeting was also attended by representatives from Cuepacs,
MTUC,
Bar Council, Tenaganita, Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) and the Malaysian
Employers Federation.

Among the issues discussed were the freedom to set up association,
discrimination and workers' rights