Saifuddin: No M'sians recruited into Bangladeshi-linked militant network
Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has confirmed that no Malaysians were recruited into a foreign militant network linked to Bangladeshi nationals, which was recently uncovered by authorities.
He said investigations by the Royal Malaysia Police Special Branch revealed that the group, which aimed to spread extremist ideology rooted in Islamic State beliefs, involved only Bangladeshi nationals.
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New Straits Times
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UNHCR: Allowing refugees to work formally may ease labour market gaps
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New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
Allowing refugees to work formally may ease labour market gaps, says UNHCR
KUALA LUMPUR: Including refugees in formal work may be the solution to addressing the gaps in Malaysia's labour market. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representative Louise Aubin said that allowing refugees to work formally will also support Malaysia's goals of eradicating forced labour. "Currently, refugees in Malaysia have no legal status in the country, and have no access to legal and regulated work. "They, therefore, seek wage-earning opportunities in the informal sector to make ends meet, where work is often irregular and exploitative in nature. "Common conditions encountered by refugees include low or non-payment of wages, unsafe working conditions as well as unfair dismissals due to the lack of contractual arrangements," she told the New Straits Times. She explained that enabling refugees to work formally would subsequently improve the protection of refugees against exploitation and abuse. She said that 69 per cent of refugees registered with UNHCR were of working age and able to contribute to the workforce. "A report by think tank IDEAS, suggests that if refugees were given the right to work, they could contribute over RM3 billion to annual gross domestic product by 2024 through higher spending, contribute RM50 million in tax annually by 2024, and help create over 4,000 jobs for Malaysians," she said. She added that UNHCR has had positive discussions with Putrajaya to facilitate access to employment for refugees and reiterated its commitment to support the government with any proposed guidelines to legal work and having further discussion with the relevant ministries and agencies. However, human rights and social justice NGO North South Initiative executive director Adrian Pereira said refugees in Malaysia could seek employment if there was a government directive. Nonetheless, there is a grey area in the framework's standard operating procedures and the rights that refugees have at work. "So, without clarity, this is going to put refugees and asylum seekers not just in forced labor conditions but also putting employers at risk by being fined or punished by the enforcement agencies that have no clue or are unaware of the directive," he said. Pereira added that the numerous raids and fines against refugees and their employers did more harm than good due to lack of clarity over the directive. "If the government does not regulate this, human traffickers, organised crime syndicates, and greedy employers will continue to exploit them," he said, adding that there have been cases of refugees being paid 40 per cent of the legislated minimum wage of RM1,700 per month. He said that refugees may also fall into the black labour market due to lack of regulations. "We can see over the years certain sectors have bloomed due to exploitation. An example is the massage or the leisure industry and restaurants. "It's good that they are giving refugees the right to work but at what cost? Are they free from forced labour, modern day slavery? It's time to have a clear legal framework for refugees," he said. Last week, the Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) called on the government to allow refugees to work formally in a structured and safeguarded framework for economic and social benefits. Earlier this year, Federal Territories Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said the government was working on details to allow refugees registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to work legally in Malaysia.
New Straits Times
2 hours ago
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Dikir Barat singer Eda Ezrin's drug case moved to Songkhla Appeal Court
KOTA BARU: The drug case involving popular dikir barat singer Eda Ezrin, along with five other Malaysians, has been transferred to the Middle Appeal Court in Songkhla. The legal proceedings involving the 30-year-old singer were transferred to the Songkhla Appeal Court earlier this month following a request by Thai prosecutors. However, Eda Ezrin known for her hit song 'Bae Soba Bae' and the five others, including her husband, remain in custody at Narathiwat prison pending further legal proceedings. Last November, Eda Ezrin and the others were detained in Thailand for possession of 6,000 yaba pills. A source said the Narathiwat Provincial Court had approved the prosecution's application to transfer the appeal proceedings. "The case involving the popular dikir barat singer Eda Ezrin has been transferred to the Middle Appeal Court in Songkhla recently. "But the six Malaysians will remain in Narathiwat court's detention," said the source. On June 6, the Narathiwat Provincial Cour t approved a fourth application by the prosecution to extend the appeal period concerning the group's release over charges of jointly possessing the drugs. Eda Ezrin whose full name is Wan Norshaheeda Azlin Wan Ismail; her husband, Mohd Affendi Ahmad, 35; and their friends, Eridieka Mohd Noor, 33; Mohamad Alif Deraman, 33; Nur Aida Mamat, 33; and Zuhaira Nasrin, 26, will remain in custody during this extended period which will ends on July 6. The court on March 6 found them not guilty of jointly possessing methamphetamine pills with intent to sell. However, they continued to be held in custody after prosecutors were granted additional time to decide on filing an appeal. In Thailand, courts are organised into three tiers: Courts of First Instance, Courts of Appeal (Middle Courts) and the Supreme Court. The Middle Court is in Songkhla and it is called the Songkhla Provincial Court of Appeal or commonly referred to as a middle court. Its handles appeals from lower courts (first instance) within its jurisdiction and the typical cases include criminal appeals, civil appeals and administrative appeals from the lower courts. The middle court reviews decisions from trial courts (provincial and municipal courts) to ensure proper application of the law. It does not conduct full trials, but rather hears arguments based on the record and written submissions. If a party is not satisfied with the decision of this middle court, they may appeal further to the Supreme Court of Thailand. Court of Appeal (Songkhla) usually gives a verdict within three months, but in practice, it may take six to eight months in southern provinces.
