She said Malaysia should not have cases of mistreatment or abuse of migrant workers, especially given its current chairmanship of Asean.

“We aren’t a country that utterly disrespects our foreign workers. We have our laws, and we have to respect every human being,” she said at a press conference for the launch of Malaysia’s first National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (NAPBHR) today.

Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) chairman Hishamudin Yunus agreed with her, reiterating that foreign workers were also entitled to protection from Malaysian institutions.

“Foreign workers facing exploitation can always lodge a report with Suhakam. We’ll look into it for you. That’s the process,” he said.

While debating the 13th Malaysia Plan in Parliament last week, Lim said there was “no need to mandate the RM1,700 minimum wage and 2% EPF contributions for migrant workers” already in the workforce.

He pointed to Singapore’s policy of not requiring Central Provident Fund contributions for migrant workers since 2003 without repercussions from the International Labour Organization.

“Therefore, the RM1,700 wage floor and 2% EPF contribution should apply only to new foreign hires, as employers previously engaged the current workers based on (the then) existing terms,” Lim had said.

Separately, Azalina said the government will also examine the need for specific laws on artificial intelligence in light of emerging legal challenges.

She said the current legal system needs to be upgraded, as AI-related laws require different approaches, including burden of proof, authenticity and document integrity.

“Right now, whatever you say, every document is online, and because it’s online you can fabricate any content,” she said.

Azalina said courts must be confident in their consideration of AI-based evidence, as the technology can produce visuals or audio resembling individuals who do not exist, and must protect the public from fraud or manipulation.