HUMAN Resource Minister M. Saravanan will hold a meeting soon with Malaysian companies whose exports have been banned by the by the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Department.

He said the meeting would be held to discuss immediate action that could be taken to address allegations of forced labour in Malaysia.

“I will also call WRP Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd and Top Glove Corporation Bhd, where the restrictions on these companies have been lifted. We will adopt the approach taken by these two companies as a guide and improvement for other companies,” he said in a statement today.

Saravanan said he viewed seriously the US ban on several local companies as that could tarnish the country’s name and had instructed the Manpower Department to carry out an immediate investigation. 

“I am committed to addressing this issue immediately to ensure Malaysia is no longer associated with forced labor practices. All companies that are subject to these export restrictions need to improve their internal practices and tough action will be taken against companies that are still in default,” he added.

The CBP recently issued a withhold release order for several local companies and seized the oil palm products of Sime Darby Plantation Bhd and its subsidiaries. The order also applied to YTY Group’s rubber gloves.

In a January 24 meeting with his counterpart Indonesia counterpart Ida Fauziyah in Jakarta, Saravanan said Malaysia was committed to protect and safeguard the welfare of all workers, including foreign ones.

He said it was in line with the National Action Plan on Forced Labour 2021-2025 (NAPFL) which was launched on November 26 to serve as a framework for all programmes and activities to eradicate forced labour practices.  – Bernama, January 30, 2022.