REFUGEES MAY BE ALLOWED TO WORK

Image via Wikipedia

-------------------------------

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia is considering allowing refugees to work while awaiting resettlement abroad, a report said yesterday, after an industry group said the measure could help ease a labour shortage.

Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein told The Star newspaper he would discuss the proposal with the foreign ministry and foreign embassies. "The suggestion might work but we need to look at it from all angles," he said.

Foreign Minister Anifah Aman agreed, saying: "We have to study this in detail. It will benefit the country if refugees with certain expertise are allowed to work while they are here."

The United Nations refugee agency said there are almost 80,000 registered refugees and asylum-seekers in Malaysia, most of whom fled persecution in Myanmar. Its spokesperson told AFP the agency was ready to support the initiative: "We believe that this is in the long-term humanitarian, economic and security interest of Malaysia, and consistent with Malaysia's own humanitarian tradition in helping those in need."

Ms Florida Sandanasamy, an official with local refugee rights group Tenaganita, also welcomed the work proposal as a first "small step".

Several groups, including the Malaysian Trades Union Congress, have called on the government to allow refugees to work, particularly in labour-strapped sectors, instead of importing more foreign workers. The country depends heavily on foreign labour in industries such as construction, manufacturing and farming.

Earlier this month, Malaysia announced it planned to issue ID cards to refugees - in a first move toward recognising them and sparing them from being arrested with other illegals. Agencies

From TODAY, Tuesday, 23-Feb-2010

----------

Related articles by Zemanta

• Malaysiakini: demonstration against use of public hospitals for private care (medicine.com.my)
• Malaysia extraditing 'terror' men (news.bbc.co.uk)
• Myanmar Sentences American to Prison (nytimes.com)
• Malaysia: Suspects linked to accused plane bomber (sfgate.com)
• Malaysia: Suspects tied to alleged plane bomber (msnbc.msn.com)
• 3 women caned in Malaysia for adultery (cnn.com)
• Malaysia women flogged over sex (news.bbc.co.uk)
• Malaysian Woman Caned For Having Extramarital Sex: 'I Deserved It' (huffingtonpost.com)
• Malaysian Churches Attacked In 'Allah' Row (huffingtonpost.com)
• It Was Simpler Then; Now Employers Have To Undergo Course As Well (micasadenipa.blogspot.com)

It Was Simpler Then; Now Employers Have To Undergo Course As Well

MAIDS, EMPLOYERS IN MALAYSIA MUST ATTEND COURSE

-----------------------------------------------

KUALA LUMPUR - From next month, all new foreign maids in Malaysia and their employers must attend a half-day course aimed at improving working relations between them, reported The New Straits Times.

The course that is being organised by the Human Resource Ministry is also aimed at reducing the number of runaway maids and physical abuse by employers. The maids and their employers must attend the course within six months of employment.

Human Resource Minister Dr S Subramaniam said the ministry found most employers to be responsible and supportive but "there is this 1 per cent who tarnish the country's image".

Speaking after launching a 30-page booklet on foreign maids on Saturday, he said the ministry also hopes maid employment agencies can do more: "We want them to act as a middle person and look into the management of the employer and the maid. They should also be able to counsel both the parties."

At present, agencies are obliged to replace a maid if the employer finds the helper unsuitable or if the maid runs away.

The course, which will be held during weekends, will also look into the contract's terms and conditions for salaries, working conditions, tips and how to end a contract.

Those attending the course will receive a book with hotline numbers, government addresses and phone numbers.

Asked if the ministry agrees with the recent call by Indonesia for a minimum payment of RM800 ($331.50) a month for an Indonesian maid, Dr Subramaniam said the ministry has rejected the demand.

"We will allow the market to decide on the pay because if we allow one country to decide on the pay, we will also have to entertain others," he said.

There are about 216,000 foreign maids in Malaysia with some 2,000 new maids entering the country every month.

Most are from Indonesia, followed by maids from the Philippines, Cambodia, India, Pakistan, Nepal and Myanmar. Agencies

From TODAY, Monday, 22-Feb-2010

----------

Related articles by Zemanta

• Malaysian women say caning was opportunity to repent (ctv.ca)
• Cafe World gets in an Olympic mood with National Flags (games.com)
• Tense ties (news.bbc.co.uk)
• Examination Registration For SPM, SPMU And STAM 2010 (warkah.com)
• Malaysia: Suspects linked to accused plane bomber (sfgate.com)
• US Led Facebook's Worldwide Growth in December, 2009 (insidefacebook.com)
• Malaysia: Suspects tied to alleged plane bomber (msnbc.msn.com)
• Slain terror leader buried in Malaysia (ctv.ca)
• With this mission in heed (recycleemail.com)
• HCL bags five-year IT infrastructure management contract from Electrolux (newstatesman.com)

Foreign maids to get 1 day off a week

A more humane treatment… this is good!

----------

05:55 AM Jun 18, 2009

KUALA LUMPUR - Foreign maids working in Malaysia will soon get one day off a week as part of a bid to improve working conditions for domestic helpers from overseas.

Human Resources Minister S Subramaniam told state media on Tuesday his ministry was amending the Employment Act to make it compulsory for employers to give maids a day off.

He said it was part of moves to prevent the abuse of domestic workers in Malaysia - most of whom are from Indonesia - who are not covered by legislation that protects foreign workers in other sectors like construction.

"The ministry will make it mandatory for all domestic helpers to sign (a) contract of employment containing provisions like salary, the name of employers, their workplaces and the compulsory one day off a week," Mr Subramaniam said.

Mr Subramaniam said the off day would be jointly determined by employer and employee while the domestic helper could forgo the rest day as long as they were compensated for it.

Employers could be fined up to RM10,000 ($4,128) if they fail to comply, he warned.

The minister added that the plan could be implemented this year, but did not elaborate on specifics.

More than 300,000 Indonesian women work as maids in Malaysia. Many have complained of ill treatment by their employers, including overwork, unpaid salaries and physical abuse. In a latest abuse case, a 33-year-old Indonesian maid claimed she was scalded with hot water and beaten by her employer, who is now in police custody.

However, not all are for the mandatory day off. Some agencies and employers worry that maids will use it to meet men and run away. "It looks very good on paper ... (but) if you give too much freedom to the maid, there is room for them to run away," said Mr Raja Zulkepley Dahalan, president of the Malaysian Association of Foreign Housemaids Agencies, which represents 160 of 360 maid agencies. AGENCIES

From TODAY, News – Thursday, 18-Jun-2009; see the source article here.

Malaysia royals: sex allegations 'private affair'

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

AFP - Thursday, June 4

Malaysia royals: sex allegations 'private affair'

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - - Malaysian royals have described allegations by a teenage US-Indonesian model that she was raped and abused by her Malaysian prince husband as "a private affair" between the couple.

Manohara Odelia Pinot, 17, Monday told reporters she was treated like a sex slave after her marriage last year to Tengku Temenggong Mohammad Fakhry, the prince of Kelantan state.

She escaped the prince's guards at a Singapore hotel and returned to her family in Indonesia with tales of abuse, rape and torture at the hands of the prince.

In its first comments on the matter, palace coordinator Abdul Halim Hamad said "the Kelantan palace authorities are watching and studying this issue and until now consider it as a private affair of a husband and wife that needs to be settled through the provisions of the law."

Abdul Halim in a statement Wednesday also said that all the remarks made by Mohamad Soberi Shafli, a friend of the prince, reflected his personal views only.

Soberi had said the ex-model was allowed to leave voluntarily and blamed her mother for influencing her to make up stories about the prince.

Her mother, Daisy Fajarina, said she would press charges against the 31-year-old prince, and accused the Malaysian and Indonesian governments for trying to cover up the alleged abuse.

"Manohara has suffered physical abuse. She's got several razor cuts on her chest," Fajarina told AFP on Monday.

The teenager -- whose fairy-tale wedding to a prince captured the imagination of Indonesia -- said she would be tortured if she did not appear to be happy when she attended social functions with Fakhry.

She said she secretly called Singaporean police and pleaded for help after the royal family took her to Singapore when they accompanied Fakhry's father, Sultan Ismail Petra Shah II, for medical treatment.

"The police told Fakhry that he would be held in jail if he did not let me go. No one could force me against my will in Singapore and I knew I had a chance to escape," she said.

Malaysia's royal rulers used to enjoy immunity from criminal and civil charges but the privilege was removed in 1993.

Manohara's lawyer, Yuri Darmas, said his client would have a medical examination to back up her allegations of abuse, adding that he intended to pursue criminal and civil lawsuits against the prince.

Manohara has already filed for divorce, her mother said.

From Yahoo! News; see the source article here.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Kelantan Royals: Sex Allegations Private Affair (warkah.com)
• Teen model escapes 'abusive' Malaysian prince (micasadenipa.blogspot.com)
• Teenage model who married Malaysian prince 'flees abusive marriage' (telegraph.co.uk)
• Manohara Odelia Pino Escapes Abusive Malaysian Prince (warkah.com)
• Model flees, claiming sex abuse by prince (micasadenipa.blogspot.com)
• Teenage Model Flees 'Abusive' Royal Marriage (abcnews.go.com)
• Malaysian govt denies cover-up in Kelantan prince scandal (micasadenipa.blogspot.com)
• Socialite Flees 'Rape And Torture' By Prince (news.sky.com)

Malaysian govt denies cover-up in Kelantan prince scandal

By Channel NewsAsia's Malaysia Bureau Chief Melissa Goh

Posted: 03 June 2009 0029 hrs

Manohara Odelia Pino, 17, is kissed by her mother as she arrives at her residence in Jakarta

KUALA LUMPUR : The Malaysian government has denied any cover-up in the alleged abuse of the teenage Indonesian model wife by her Malaysian prince husband.

The Minister in the Prime Minister's department Nazri Aziz will investigate if a formal report is lodged, as he said no one is above the law.

Meanwhile, the Kelantan royal family has denied all allegations of wrongdoing by Tengku Mohd Fakhry, also known as Tunku Temengganong.

17-year-old Manohara Odelia Pinot made the front page of Malaysian papers after news of her dramatic escape shocked the nation.

The teary teenage model claimed that she was sexually abused and tortured by her husband Tengku Mohd Fakhry, who treated her, she said, like a toy.

Last August, the then 16-year-old Manohara, whose father is French, married the 31-year-old prince.

Now back in Jakarta, she said she has had enough, and is filing for a divorce.

Manohara's mother Daisy Fajarina has also vowed to press charges against the prince pending a full medical report.

Speaking in Kuala Lumpur, government officials say they are in the dark as there has been no formal report lodged so far.

"He just happens to be the son of the Sultan... no one is above the law. This report is criminal act against the state and we will take action," said Minister Nazri, a Minister in the Prime Minister's department.

The Kelantan royal family, has also dismissed the allegations as slanderous and defended its youngest prince.

"Prove it. Manohara must be prepared to go to an independent doctor in Australia or France, only then it's fair," argued Mohd Sabri Shafiee, a spokesman for Tengku Fakhry.

Mohd Sabri, who is a close friend of Tengku TT - as the prince is commonly known - also expressed hopes that Manohara will apologise to clear the air.

He said: "Impossible as a human being that he can be cruel when we all know that he loves her so much. Tengku will not run away; we'll make sure the truth comes out.

He later produced footage of the couple's happy moments together. "To repair the damage, Manohara needs to tell the truth, seek the husband's forgiveness and Tengku TT will take her back," said Mohd Sabri.

He blamed Manohara's mother, whom he described as materialistic, for messing up the daughter's marriage which otherwise could have worked.

"She wants everything - house, cars, you name it. I don't want to go into details," said Mohd Sabri.

In a statement issued, the Kelantan royal family urged the media to respect their privacy and not to play up on the scandal that is fast becoming a major embarrassment to the royal family. - CNA /ls

From ChannelNewsAsia.com; see the source article here.

Related articles by Zemanta

• No Cover-Up In Kelantan Prince Scandal (warkah.com)
• Teenage model who married Malaysian prince 'flees abusive marriage' (telegraph.co.uk)
• Teen model escapes 'abusive' Malaysian prince (micasadenipa.blogspot.com)
• Model flees, claiming sex abuse by prince (micasadenipa.blogspot.com)
• Manohara Odelia Pino Escapes Abusive Malaysian Prince (warkah.com)
• Socialite Flees 'Rape And Torture' By Prince (news.sky.com)
• 40 Years After 13 May 1969 (warkah.com)

Report: Top terror suspect hid in Malaysia village

This is the version of the report from Yahoo! News...

-----

AP - Monday, May 11

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - The Islamic militant suspect recently recaptured after escaping from a Singapore jail avoided detection for a year by living in an isolated Malaysian hamlet and rarely leaving his wooden house on stilts, a newspaper said Monday.

The Star daily reported that Mas Selamat Kastari, one of the most wanted terror suspects in the region, lived in Tawakal, a village of less than 100 people in the southern Johor state. It said residents were shocked to find out the fugitive had been living among them.

"He never spoke to anyone and kept to himself. And he never prayed at the local prayer room," resident Mohamad Saat, 56, was quoted as saying.

Mas Selamat, the alleged Singapore commander of the al-Qaida-linked Jemaah Islamiyah group, was sometimes seen gardening or fishing in a canal behind his house, and went out rarely. If he did, it was usually after dark, dressed in a long white robe and white turban, the report said.

Mas Selamat escaped from a high-security Singapore jail on Feb. 27, 2008, which severely embarrassed the city-state known for its rigorous security. According to Singapore authorities, he was caught again on April 1 by Malaysian security forces.

Malaysian authorities have confirmed the arrest but shared no more details. Police on Monday would not confirm The Star's unattributed report.

Mas Selamat, a Singaporean citizen of Indonesian origin, is alleged to have plotted to hijack a plane and fly it into Singapore international airport, its government says. He was caught by the Indonesian police in 2006 and handed over to Singapore, where he was being held under the Internal Security Act that allows indefinite detention without trial.

He escaped detention in Singapore by wriggling out a bathroom window just ahead of a scheduled visit by his family.

Mas Selamat, who walks with a limp, is said to have used an improvised flotation device to swim across the Strait of Johor _ the narrow waterway that separates Malaysia from Singapore _ after his escape.

It was unclear why he ended up in Tawakal, where he rented the basement of a two-story wooden house on stilts, and how authorities learned of his whereabouts. The Star said Tawakal lies in a remote neighborhood surrounded by oil palms about 7 miles (10 kilometers) from the North-South Expressway that stretches the length of Malaysia.

The report said Mas Selamat was captured in a pre-dawn police raid on his house. The landlord of the house, who lived upstairs, was also arrested, it said.

It quoted resident Mohamad Saat Marjo as saying that some 30 armed policemen surrounded the house and ordered Mas Selamat to come out before breaking through the doors. They led him out with his face covered in a dark blue checkered cloth.

Police are now holding Mas Selamat under Malaysia's Internal Security Act, which is similar to Singapore's ISA. Malaysia has not said when or if he will be handed back to Singapore.

From Yahoo! News; see the source article here.