Similarly, many assume that, with the abolition of slavery by colonial powers in the 19th century, the slave trade no longer exists.

This would be a great thing – if it were true to begin with. You might be shocked to learn that not only does the slave trade still exist, it exists within this country itself.

In workshops, factories and plantations, hidden from public view, many migrant workers in Malaysia are kept in slave-like conditions.

For instance, a 2014 report by Verité, an American fair-labour organisation, found that one-third of workers in the Malaysian electronics industry were found to be working in conditions that could be deemed forced labour.

As Aug 23 is recognised as the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and for this occasion, FMT Lifestyle spoke with long-time rights activist Irene Xavier.

Co-founder of Persatuan Sahabat Wanita Selangor, the 72-year-old has been fighting for the oppressed for close to four decades now.

“I started my activism in 1984 as a student activist fighting for the workers,” she recalled. “I felt that they were facing lots of problems in Malaysia.”

These issues continue to this day, with the slave trade still being illegally practised in certain sectors of Malaysian industry.

“There are many workers who are being brought into this country,” she said. “Many of them don’t know what they’re getting into. They just trust their agents, the contracts they were given.”

According to her, these unfortunate souls can come from “anywhere”, although they mostly hail from poor, developing countries.

After all, it is very rare for Malaysians to be subjected to forced labour, as they are often aware of their rights and the law. “Which Malaysian wants to work seven days a week?”

Unsuspecting migrant workers, on the other hand, are a lot more vulnerable. Many of them end up working long hours daily – “on average, they are expected to work 12 hours a day”.

She added: “They don’t have much freedom of movement; many are confined to where they stay.”

Running away is not always an option as escapees may not know where to go to, who they can trust, or how they can survive in the short-term.

Slavery: a lucrative trade

The modern-day slave trade is apparently a lucrative one, with third-party agents and employers profiting immensely from human suffering.

Xavier pointed out that factories and plantations, in particular, often involve forced labour, with abuses kept hidden away from the public eye.

Shouldn’t the law forbid such excesses? Xavier explained that while there are laws, the provisions are often less defined.

“The procedures and processes with which an enslaved person can file a complaint are not very clear,” she said.

It is usually the labour department’s responsibility to deal with these matters, but, according to Xavier, the department is understaffed.

“They don’t have much time to go to workplaces to actually investigate allegations. Workers are often rescued by NGOs who put them into shelters before lodging a complaint.”

In most cases, enslaved people will escape their workplace and quietly look for a job elsewhere. They rarely seek justice against their exploiters, as they often do not have the knowledge or means to file a formal complaint “unless someone goes with them”.

Additionally, people who escape slavery are often intimidated into silence, with their exploiters sometimes threatening their or their family’s safety.

“It’s a dire situation for the workers,” Xavier commented, adding that she herself has received death threats for helping mistreated workers act against their former employers.

Unfortunately, the situation is made more complicated by how Malaysians often treat migrant workers with indifference and/or hostility.

“Malaysians don’t really pay attention to these things. They just ignore them,” she said. Widespread corruption also means that eyes deliberately turn away from abuses of power.

While Xavier believes this country is comparatively better than many neighbouring nations when it comes to combating modern-day slavery, there is still much that can be improved upon.

“The slave trade is going to be difficult to stop because people are relying on it,” she stressed. “It will go on until there is political will to stop this.”

While a lot of responsibility falls on the government, the average Malaysian can also contribute in small but meaningful ways.

“The public should keep an eye out for cases. Talk, if there’s an opportunity to talk, to workers in trouble.

“Even if you don’t want to personally intervene, complain to somebody else – NGOs, the government. Those are things that you, the public, can do.”