Rajaretinam made the claim when voicing out his disapproval of Putrajaya’s proposal to import 1.5 million Bangladeshis into the country to meet a shortage of menial labour.

Speaking to FMT today, Das said the claim did not hold any value with Tenaganita because there was no proof to back it up.

“If there is substantial evidence to back his allegations, then serious action can and should be taken,” she said. “But apart from his claim being baseless, I also don’t think it’s fair for him to make a generalised statement about migrant workers.”

She added that the abuse of women was a serious crime regardless of whether the perpetrators were locals or foreigners.

“Rajaretinam should present facts and details,” she said. “If his claim does hold water, then Tenaganita ourselves will take the case. But without proof, there’s no value in his statement.”

Das pointed out that the Malaysian government first allowed the import of migrant workers some time in the 1980s in an effort to help fellow third-world Muslim countries while fulfilling the need for labourers as locals progressed to better jobs.

“Now we need to look at the situation today and ask ourselves whether we’re really helping our fellow Muslims or are we exploiting them and criminalising them in the process,” she said.