Malaysia offers hundreds of thousands of Nepali people opportunities: a job, regular pay, and a chance to support their families back home. However, beyond the flow of remittances and the number of people recruited lies a different story Nepal can no longer turn a blind eye to: What cost do Nepali workers pay to be allowed to work in Malaysia?
According to Suhakam, Malaysia’s Human Rights Commission, between 2018 and May 2024, 2,214 Nepali migrant workers have passed away in Malaysia. Among the leading reasons for their deaths were suicides and serious health problems, such as heart attacks. As there are about 400,000 Nepali workers in Malaysia, these figures should not be regarded only as statistics. Every one of those deaths means that someone has lost a parent, son/daughter, and husband/wife.
In today’s era, migration has been deeply entrenched within the economy of Nepal. Remittances from the migrant workers finance the livelihoods, educational needs, and health needs of individuals, keeping their economy running. However, in the economic significance of migration, one must not forget the realities of the lives of the workers themselves.
These complaints are certainly alarming. There have been reports of passports being confiscated, salaries not being paid, and working without rest for long periods ranging from 30 days. These are not administrative issues; rather, they make the worker highly vulnerable in his new environment, where he is completely dependent on his employer.
A passport is not just a tool for a migrant worker but one of the basics for movement and identification. If they are not paid enough, then they might be unable to repay the debt that they borrowed to migrate. Excess working hours may affect their physical and psychological health. The isolation caused by language barriers, geographic location, and fear of losing their job makes it difficult to report any kind of maltreatment.
However, the fact that the Human Rights organisations have made a three-year agreement to study such abuses, monitor the detention centers, and improve the protection for the labour force becomes very significant. However, the agreement alone will not make much difference if there is no change in workers' living conditions. Surveillance should not end at detention centres. Inspections need to be done in workplaces like factories, plantations and construction sites, among others where the Nepali migrants are employed. Reports on nonpayment of wages, long working hours, and withholding of documents must be looked into. There have to be serious repercussions for employers who breach labour laws.
The Nepali government also has its obligations. The government must not look at migration only as a source of remittance flows. Employment agencies should be held responsible for deceptive contracts, high recruitment costs, and lack of information about working conditions. They should receive employment contracts before departure and have an idea of where to seek help upon arrival.
However, there is another problem that needs addressing: the context of the death of the migrants. In the event of such deaths abroad, much of the emphasis will be placed on repatriation of the bodies of the deceased workers and payment of compensation to the families. While this is necessary, it is certainly not enough. There must be an attempt to investigate the deaths and find out why they occurred.
These figures should drive both Malaysia and Nepal to think outside of their bilateral relations and consider the entire system. Malaysia requires migrants. Nepal requires the money earned by them. This interdependence ought to serve as a motivation for ensuring that migration happens safely and in a legal and dignified manner for both these nations. Migrants must not be forced into a position where earning a living comes in conflict with their health and dignity.
Migration from Nepal has traditionally been described in terms of sacrifice, people leaving their families behind to ensure that their family members lead better lives. However, such sacrifice does not necessarily require one to suffer preventable abuses in the course of employment. The true success of any migration programme lies not only in how much the workers manage to remit to their homes but also in whether they get back to their homeland safe and sound, well paid, with their rights upheld and their dignity intact. It must be the least requirement for all the Nepalis going to Malaysia.
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