Tenaganita commends RM1.55 million payout order to Bangladeshi workers

New Straits Times

19-06-2025

KUALA LUMPUR: Human rights organisation Tenaganita has commended a recent decision by the Kuala Lumpur Labour Department, which ordered Meranti Binamas Sdn Bhd to pay nearly RM1.55 million in unpaid wages and related violations to 74 Bangladeshi migrant workers.
The payment, totaling RM1,548,000, follows claims filed by the workers through Tenaganita for unpaid wages and related labour violations.
Tenaganita executive director Glorene A Das said the latest development represents a significant step forward in the fight for justice and dignity for migrant workers in Malaysia.
"The decision affirms that employers must be held accountable for their obligations and that the rights of workers, particularly migrant workers who are often silenced and made invisibilise, must be asserted without compromise," she said in a statement.
The case saw the workers, including lead claimant Md Kabir Hossain, pay exorbitant recruitment fees of up to RM25,000 to secure jobs promised under official permits.
However, upon arrival in Malaysia, they were left without employment, wages, or adequate living conditions, exposed to legal risks and mental distress.
The workers lived for months in overcrowded and unsanitary hostels in Pudu, without income or support, some even contemplating suicide due to the desperation they endured.
The case was led by Tenaganita's consultant and lead case officer Abdul Aziz bin Ismail.
Aziz, in response to the decision said; "It has been a long and winding road, but we finally have a decision and an order from the Labour Department. This is a significant achievement for the workers and for Tenaganita. It sets yet another precedent that even large, seemingly untouchable companies can be held accountable when workers stand united and demand justice."
By ordering Meranti Binamas Sdn Bhd to pay the amounts due, the department has sent a clear message that employers cannot exploit workers with impunity."
Such a case was not isolated.
"Tenaganita has documented hundreds of similar cases involving fraud, deception, and labour rights violations under the pretense of legal recruitment. We raised these issues in our International Migrants Day 2024 statement, highlighting the systemic failures that have plagued Malaysia's labour migration governance.
"Tenaganita continues to urge the government to ensure that the payment is made promptly and in full, and that systemic reform is undertaken to prevent similar abuses in the future. We also call on the authorities to take proactive steps to identify other affected workers and ensure they too have access to redress.