BY: SITI ROSNI

It is getting increasingly common to find on news portals and social media pages of migrant workers being shortchanged or deceived by their employers and also of other violations of their rights and terms and conditions of employment.

This has become a disturbing trend, and as a healthy democracy, Malaysia can ill afford to have the good name and reputation of the nation tarnished especially with regards to human trafficking of migrant workers.

Since these migrant workers are needed for a variety of reasons, it is high time for the government of the day to put in place mechanisms to safeguard and protect the rights of migrant workers who are in possession of legal documents.

While illegal workers or aliens should be immediately repatriated back to their respective countries, those who are bona fide migrant workers should be supervised, regulated and monitored in this country so that they are compliant to immigration laws and their work permits.

This way there will be openness and transparency in the hiring of migrant workers and the government can exercise control over the influx of these people so that they really do make a positive contribution to the growth of the economy.

Bringing a situation such as this, the plight of all migrant workers, will ensure that all stakeholders are satisfied and happy and there is a healthy environment for them to live, work and play and assimilate with Malaysians.

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE

** The views expressed on this opinion is of the writer and not the publisher