MUAR: Compounds totalling RM12.4 million have been issued by the Department of Labour Peninsular Malaysia (JTKSM) to employers from Feb 2020 until yesterday for failure to provide suitable and comfortable workers’ accommodation and hostels.
JTKSM deputy director-general (Operations) Mohd Asri Abdul Wahab said the compounds were issued through 1,083 investigation papers for failing to comply with the Employees’ Minimum Standards of Housing, Accommodation and Amenities (Amendment) Act 2019 or Act 446.
He said during the period, JTKSM inspected 183,391 accommodations, involving 48,579 employers and it was found that 40 per cent or 19,250 employers had failed to comply with Act 446.
Subsequently, 148 investigation papers were opened and taken to court involving fines totalling RM1.2 million.
“Among the excuses given by the employers were difficulties getting approval for hostel construction or their applications have not been approved,” he told reporters after inspecting two factories at Bukit Bakri Industrial Area together with personnel from the Muar Municipal Council (MPM), the Malaysian Immigration Department (JIM), the police and the Social Security Organisation (Socso).
“We are actually here to assist employers if they have problems with their workers including their housing. These (employers) are urged to meet JTKSM and also the local authority (PBT),“ he said.
Mohd Asri added that in the two-hour operation starting from 10.30 am today, 528 workers were questioned.
He said workers at these two premises are provided hostels built of bricks and zinc but JTKSM has not issued a certificate of fitness for the building and the employers have yet to submit any application.
Following the operation today, six investigation papers were opened by JTKSM according to Section 24D of Act 446 which provides a maximum compound of RM50,000 for each offence.-Bernama