Page 48 - NAPFL FINAL
P. 48

48                                                                                                                                                                              49





                                                       forced labour, if it goes ‘under the radar’.               By creating such a database, partners  forced labour in Malaysia and therefore

                  4.5 Programme                        Moreover, misconceptions about forced                      will be able to draw comprehensive   the focus for Strategic Goal 3. Migration
                                                                                                                                                       management, by nature, is transnational
                                                       labour (e.g., confusing victims with
                                                                                                                  reports at different scales (e.g., national
                  Areas                                illegal aliens) may influence public                       level, at state level, sectoral/industry  and the interventions under Strategic
                                                       perceptions and make forced labour                         level) and use these for analysis. The  Goal 3 fall into three interdependent
                                                       harder to eradicate.                                       NAPFL prioritises, in particular, the  priority areas. First, the NAPFL intends to
                                                                                                                  production of evidence-based policy  ensure that Malaysia enters into MOUs
                  Each of the four Strategic                                                                      studies that will be useful for legal  and other Government to Government    National Action Plan on Forced Labour (2021-2025)
                  Goals corresponds to a               pre-condition    for     improved                          review and planning.                 cooperation with sending countries in

                  programme area under the             understanding and an open, productive                                                           the  region  to  ensure  transparent
                                                                   that
                                                       dialogue
                                                                          will
                                                                                 prevent
                                                                                                                                                       processes and to encourage sending
                  NAPFL. Each Programme                misunderstandings  and   facilitate                        The Strategic Goal 2 Programme Areas  countries to play an active role in
                  Area will cover interventions        effective action is robust data collection                 will focus on building capacity for law  preparing their nationals for migrant life
                                                                                                                  enforcement
                                                       and information dissemination.
                                                                                                                                                       and work. This could be, for example,
                                                                                                                                            relevant
                                                                                                                                 among
                  at tackling root causes and                                                                     government authorities, such as the  through   improved   pre-departure
                  drivers of forced labour in                                                                     Labour Inspectorate. Equally important,  training for migrant workers. Secondly,
                  Malaysia.                            Therefore, the NAPFL                                       Programme Area 2 will include activities  the  NAPFL  intends  to  improve
                                                                                                                                     compliance
                                                                                                                                                 by
                                                                                                                                                       recruitment procedures and processes,
                                                                                                                  to
                                                                                                                      support
                                                                                                                               legal
                                                       prioritises creating solid                                 employers and workers. Promoting     notably through improved regulation of
                                                       understanding and open                                     stronger legal compliance will prevent  recruitment agencies. This could also
                  The Programme Area under Strategic   dialogue about forced                                      forced  labour  from  occurring  in  become part of MOUs with sending
                  Goal 1 focuses on increasing awareness                                                          Malaysian workplaces, in both the    countries in addition to activities to
                  and understanding of forced labour,  labour, as a pre-condition for                             formal and informal sector. Hence, the  strengthen the operations of private
                  both among individuals who are at    further action.                                            Programme    Areas   will  include   employment agencies in Malaysia.
                  increased risk, among duty bearers and                                                          information and outreach to business
                  in the general public. 10  Understanding                                                        owners in forced labour prone sectors
                  forced labour and conducting evidence-                                                          and  areas  to  ensure  that  they   Both of these priorities also intend to
                  based discussions on forced labour is                                                           understand their legal obligations.  prevent  forced  labour   through
                  seen as an essential strategy to prevent  Therefore, the interventions will also                                                     regularising  migration  and  protect
                  and mitigate forced labour.          include data collection, analysis, and                                                          migrant  workers  from  the  risks
                                                       dissemination. The backbone of the                         Moreover, workers will be informed   associated with irregular migration. The
                                                       NAPFL data strategy is the creation of a                   about their rights and about the ways in  third priority area under Strategic Goal 3
                  If forced labour is a poorly understood
                                                       database in the MOHR that will collate
                                                                                                                  which they may access support and
           National Action Plan on Forced Labour (2021-2025)  able to protect themselves; families and  sectors and organisations.  Programme Area 2 links closely with the  support migrant workers at risk and
                                                                                                                                                       is improving capacity among migration
                                                       data and information about forced
                  and under-recognised issue, those who
                                                                                                                  services, notably through the National
                                                                                                                                                       and other key officials, e.g., Labour
                                                       labour from multiple sources, across
                  may become victims are less likely to be
                                                                                                                                              such,
                                                                                                                             Mechanism.
                                                                                                                                          As
                                                                                                                  Grievance
                                                                                                                                                       Inspectors, to identify forced labour,
                  communities are less likely to be able to
                                                                                                                                    activities
                                                                                                                                              under
                                                                                                                  awareness
                                                                                                                             raising
                                                                                                                                                       implement the provisions of relevant
                  protect their members; and duty bearers
                                                                                                                  programme area 1 and the activities to
                                                                                                                                                       pieces of legislation. This includes, for
                  are less likely to identify and address
                                                                                                                  strengthen recruitment practices under
                                                                                                                                                       example, improved capacity to ensure
                                                                                                                  Programme Area 3.
                                                                                                                                                                             are
                                                                                                                                                                     workers
                                                                                                                                                            migrant
                                                                                                                                                                                  legally
                                                                                                                                                       that
                                                                                                                                                       registered and able to obtain services.
                  10 General public in this context means any person or group that
                                                                                                                  As forced labour is very intricately linked
                  may have an impact on forced labour directly or indirectly, and
                  includes broad groups like ‘youth’, ‘consumers’ etc. More specific
                                                                                                                  to the migrant workers in Malaysia,
                                                                                                                                                       Activities under Strategic Goal 3 will be
                  definitions will be applied when activities are implemented
                                                                                                                  improved migration management is a
                                                                                                                                                       coordinated very closely with activities
                                                                                                                  key component in the efforts to prevent
                                                                                                                                                                                   which
                                                                                                                                                                           under
                                                                                                                                                       under
                                                                                                                                                              the
                                                                                                                                                                   NAPTIP,
   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53