Restaurant Workers Who Got Paid RM10 A Day & Locked Up After Working Hours Rescued By PDRM

By Ammar Haziq  •  30 Apr 2021 in News

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Besides being locked up, a group of restaurant workers are only paid RM10 per day, and the employer also punishes them if they are caught eating rice with dishes by cutting their salary.

That was the unjust treatment faced by 22 workers at a restaurant in Taman Chiu Liung, Klang, Selangor.

Bukit Aman Senior Asst Comm Fadil Marsus said the Integrated Shortcut Op raid was carried out after gaining intelligence regarding the working conditions. His party then raided a restaurant and two worker’s hostels, according to Harian Metro.

“In the operation, we managed to rescue 22 foreign workers aged between 23 to 44 years old involving 11 Indonesian women and 11 Indian men. Besides that, we arrested three local men aged 29 to 60 who are also employers and caretakers for the premises.

“Arrests were made for investigations related to the exploitation of forced labour, wages paid were not as promised, all workers were locked up in hostels and receiving threats from employers and guardians,” he said.

Fadil said police also confiscated 40 passports, two mobile phones, a BMW car, and cash believed to be business profits amounting to RM3,858.

Initial investigations found that the employer failed to pay the RM1,500 salary a month as promised and only paid RM10 a day, apart from locking up the victims after working hours.

“Their working hours are also long at 12 hours and there are no days off. Victims are also not allowed to use mobile phones even after working hours and they need to get permission from the employer if they want to use it.

“The victims (employees) will be threatened with beatings if they try to escape besides having rationed food. If they take side dishes, their salaries will be deducted,” he said and added that the accommodation provided to the victims also did not follow the standards of Act 446.

Fadil said the case is being investigated under Section 13 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (ATIPSOM) Act 2007, Section 55B of the Immigration Act 1959/63 and Section 12 (1) (f) of the Passport Act 1966.