DAP’s Charles Santiago said forced labour and human trafficking have been a major issue in Malaysia, but Bangladesh’s application for Aminul Islam and Ruhul Amin to be extradited “brings matters to a whole different level”.
“The problem is surfacing again. We cannot keep ignoring it. These problems must be solved once and for all. They (Aminul and Ruhul) are accused of money laundering and human trafficking, which are serious offences even according to our own law.
“Everybody’s watching for the government’s response. Silence is not an option. This has come up too many times. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the United Nations, and civil society both here and in Bangladesh have flagged these problems.
“If we don’t act, we’ll be seen as part of the problem,” the co-chair of the Asean Parliamentarians for Human Rights told FMT.
Aminul and Ruhul are alleged to have played a vital role in a system that has allegedly “fraudulently extorted money” from their victims, Bloomberg reported.
In a letter dated Oct 24, Bangladesh’s Interpol branch told its Malaysian counterparts that the duo had allegedly exposed their victims to physical and mental torture. Both Aminul and Ruhul have denied the allegations.
Bangladeshi police also requested that Putrajaya temporarily halt the use of computer software supplied by Bestinet Sdn Bhd, a company linked to Bangladesh-born Aminul, now a Malaysian citizen.
Santiago has repeatedly called for Putrajaya to phase out Bestinet from the foreign worker recruitment process. The company’s six-year contract to develop and maintain the Foreign Workers Centralised Management System (FWCMS) was extended recently.
In July, the PAC revealed that Bestinet had 24 unauthorised users on FWCMS involved in approving applications for the intake of foreign workers. The 2022 Auditor-General’s Report also found that there was no signed agreement between the government and Bestinet for the supply of the system.
Migrant rights activist Adrian Pereira said Malaysia’s recruitment of Bangladeshi workers has long been riddled with red flags, including for human trafficking, which have only grown more chronic over time.
The North-South Initiative executive director expressed hope that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim would accept Dhaka’s extradition request to allow for an investigation to be held by the new Muhammad Yunus-led government.
“We insist on a transparent and independent investigation by experts on the ground into the allegations made by the Yunus administration. We hope the prime minister will not spare anyone involved in the said allegations.
“Experts like Bank Negara Malaysia and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission can exchange intel with their Bangladeshi counterparts to identify the actors involved,” he said.
In May, the International Organization for Migration, the International Labour Organization, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime expressed concern over the plight of many Bangladeshis who have been duped into coming to Malaysia for non-existent jobs.
The three groups cited reports of employers and agents placing migrant workers in crowded hostels, apartments and even warehouses with unsanitary facilities, minimal access to food, no communication with the outside world and healthcare, and had their travel and identification documents confiscated.