I refer to the report that the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have directed personnel at all US ports of entry to begin seizing disposable gloves produced by Top Glove Corporation Bhd.
I want to stress that although it is unfortunate that the biggest glove producer in the world has been sanctioned, it did not come without warning.
The possibility of more countries applying the same sanctions similar to that of the US Customs and Border Protection (US CBP) is likely.
Worse still, if left unresolved, it could spread to other companies and later other industries.
The real let down here is the Home Ministry.
During my tenure as Human Resources Minister, I initiated a special independent committee on foreign worker management led by former Court of Appeal judge Hishammudin Yunus.
This committee had produced a report comprising 40 recommendations which I then presented to the Cabinet for discussion. I promised the people that after that this report will be made public.
After presenting it to the Cabinet, a committee was set up and headed by the chief secretary to the government to suggest how the recommendations and proposals should be implemented.
Among the suggestions was to establish the home ministry as the single authority for foreign worker management and the development of an end-to-end, single online system for the recruitment of foreign labour.
One of the most significant proposals was for the abolishment of outsourcing licences for labour supply, which would have brought an end to third-party service providers or agents.
Not one proposal or recommendation has been implemented and better yet, that report was never made public.
As Minister I had two townhall sessions with glove manufacturers. I warned about the possibility of sanctions and
urged them to comply by cleaning up their supply chains and ensuring no elements of forced labour exist.
I told them we would work with the US embassy and the US Customs and Border Protection.
I went to the US and met with the head of the Customs and Border Protection in order to ensure that we work with them to clean up any elements of forced labour.
This is why I was so adamant to also amend our labour laws and most of them are inadequate and outdated.
All is not lost; the Home Ministry can make immediate changes in order to eradicate Forced Labour. This is essentially important because it involves some of our biggest companies that provide thousands of jobs.
I propose that the Home Ministry immediately hands over the management of foreign workers to the human resources ministry, so that it can be better managed.
I propose that the independent committee report be revisited and its recommendations be implemented immediately. Make the report public.
M. Kula Segaran
Member of Parliament for Ipoh Barat, Perak
National Vice-Chairman of the Democratic Action Party
Former Human Resources Minister, Malaysia
1st April 2021
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