MALAYSIA and the United States’ Customs and Border Protection (US CBP) will work together to address the issue of forced labour through the establishment of a working committee, said Human Resources Minister M. Saravanan.

He said the committee will focus on exchanging information and formulating policies, and will meet every three months.

The US CBP is expected to undertake a working visit to Malaysia at the end of this month and hold a workshop with industry players in the country, he added.

“The workshop will touch on forced labour-related issues to help industry players avoid getting their products banned from entering the US market,” he said in a statement today.

Saravanan is currently on a working visit to Washington.

The visit opens up opportunities for bilateral cooperation in curbing forced labour and acts as a platform for the US to better understand Malaysia’s challenges in tackling forced and child labour issues.

Saravanan met with US CBP executive assistant commissioner AnnMarie R. Highsmith and US Labour Department deputy undersecretary for international affairs Thea Lee.

He said he shared his ministry’s initiatives in addressing almost all forced labour indicators listed under the International Labour Organisation (ILO), such as retention of identity documents, excessive overtime and withholding wages.

He said the department suggested Malaysia provide exposure to workers on the importance of trade unions, adding that this is in line with Trade Unions Act 1959 amendments, which will be tabled in Parliament in July. – Bernama, May 13, 2022.