I have been leading documentation and advocacy efforts concerning labour and human rights abuses affecting vulnerable migrant workers in Dyson’s supply chain for over 7 years now across Asia. 

With this experience in mind, I take this opportunity to share the following public comments on the Dyson/ATA IMS Bhd (renamed WaveFront Berhad, Malaysia) landmark forced labour case settlement that was announced today by Leigh Day in London, United Kingdom.

1. The settlement is a most welcome development. This is despite the settlement only seemingly involving a small number of the thousands of victims of forced labour at ATA IMS Bhd (renamed WaveFront Berhad, Malaysia) for which Dyson should also, in my personal opinion, be held fully accountable and liable.
2. This landmark legal precedent to hold multinational companies accountable in UK courts for their established failures to detect, prevent and remediate forced labour in their global supply chains is significant and positive.
3. This case settlement sends a strong signal in challenging times for advancing responsible business conduct globally that multinational companies cannot and should not escape responsibility or accountability by outsourcing their production to cheaper countries, like Malaysia, where there is limited to no rule of law, systemic impunity and corruption, and where migrant workers and other vulnerable groups of workers work at below living wages in situations where it is difficult for them to access effective justice and remediation.
4. Irresponsible disengagement by Dyson from ATA IMS Bhd in 2021 was in breach of international standards on responsible business conduct and was unacceptable, unethical and led to serious un-remediated long term negative impacts for thousands of victims of this forced labour situation. 
5. Dyson’s regrettably has not, as far as I aware and despite this settlement, established any ‘compensation fund’ to remediate the vast majority of ATA IMS Bhd’s other forced labour victims who are not party to this case and its settlement. 
6. Dyson should do far more to address migrant labour abuses and the risks of rights violations generally in its supply chains. Dyson should make this commitment to responsible business conduct a core part of how they do business in future.
7. The settlement is long overdue. It comes more than 5 years after I first raised the conditions of forced labour at ATA IMS Bhd with Dyson’s global sustainability team in London.
8. Given Dyson’s litigious response to the ATA IMS Bhd forced labour case and the company’s resistance to prompt remediation of its victims, today’s settlement has come about only because of resource intensive and tireless advocacy and legal action by me and my colleagues, Leigh Day and due to thorough, independent media reporting by media outlets like Channel 4 News. 
9. It is regrettable that Dyson sought to limit the freedom and ability of independent media and civil society actors to cover the ATA IMS Bhd case, mostly notably by prosecuting Channel 4 News for libel (a case that was eventually withdrawn last year) and by issuing threats and notices to various media outlets in the UK and in Malaysia that were seeking to report on the case.
10. Limited resources prevented me personally from launching what I consider would have been justified legal action against Dyson for alleged defamatory statements made against me to various third parties concerning the ATA IMS Bhd forced labour case.

End 

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BBC 27th Feb 2026: Dyson settles forced labour suit in landmark UK case

Jonathan Head, South East Asia correspondent and Osmond Chia,Business reporter

Electronics appliance maker Dyson has agreed to settle a lawsuit filed against it by 24 migrant workers, who alleged they were subjected to forced and abusive treatment in a Malaysian factory making the firm’s parts.

The workers, from Nepal and Bangladesh, sued the firm in 2022 and described being subject to what amounted to modern day slavery.

Dyson has denied any liability. When the case was brought it said it had been previously unaware of the alleged abuses, and the Malaysia supplier should be held responsible instead.

The case is significant for establishing the precedent that allegations against foreign companies supplying British manufacturers can be judged in an English court.

The workers described being threatened and beaten, having their passports withheld, and being forced to work long hours in unsanitary conditions.

According to their lawyers, from Leigh Day, they were denied toilet breaks and forced to work “upwards of 12 hours at a time without relieving themselves”.

Under the terms of the settlement the details of any compensation to the workers are not being disclosed.

In separate but almost identical statements posted on their websites, Dyson and Leigh Day said the resolution was reached “in recognition of the expenses of litigation and the benefits of settlement”.

They both also said the settlement was not an admission of liability on Dyson’s part.

The company had earlier argued that the case should be heard in Malaysia, not Britain.

But the Supreme Court agreed that the trial could take place in an English court, setting a precedent that British companies can be held to account in the UK for actions taken by suppliers in another country.

Labour activists have for many years drawn attention to the problem of abuses of the large migrant worker population in Malaysia.

Dyson, popular for its line of premium hair dryers and home appliances, moved its manufacturing from the UK to Malaysia in 2002.

The Airwrap maker moved its headquarters to Singapore in 2019.

Sourced from: https://bbc.com/news/articles/cddnry8dnl7o

—

Economist 8th March 2026: Britain | Riskier business

A landmark anti-slavery case (Dyson/ATA Malaysia case) adds suppliers to British firms’ risks

The dust settles in a Dyson dispute

Sourced from: https://www.economist.com/britain/2026/03/08/a-landmark-anti-slavery-case-adds-suppliers-to-british-firms-risks

In 1791 william wilberforce, a leading abolitionist, predicted that future Britons would “scarce believe” slavery had existed for so long. Yet every year billions of pounds-worth of goods produced with forced labour are thought to enter Britain. British legislation to combat this has not kept pace with more robust laws elsewhere. Asda, Morrisons, Tesco and Waitrose, for example, all sell tomato products that would be barred from America under anti-slavery import controls. Now Britain’s courts are starting to tackle the issue.

On February 26th two dozen Nepali and Bangladeshi workers settled a claim against Dyson, a Singaporean-British household-electronics firm, over alleged abuses in Malaysian factories which supply parts for its products. They said they had been trafficked, forced to surrender their passports, overworked and, in some cases, beaten and tortured.

The settlement comes after four years of litigation over jurisdiction. Dyson fought to have the case heard in Malaysian courts. But in May the uk Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal against an earlier ruling that Britain had jurisdiction over the case (since Dyson oversaw the Malaysian factories from London).

That was a landmark decision. For the first time a British court found that companies owe a duty of care to overseas workers in their supply chain if a firm exercised substantial control over the factory. Earlier rulings had already extended a company’s liability to subsidiaries abroad. In 2019 the Supreme Court granted British jurisdiction to Zambian villagers suing Vedanta, a mining company, for toxic waste from its subsidiary Konkola Copper Mines. In 2021 Shell, an oil company, was held liable for pollution caused by its Nigerian subsidy. But outsourcing production appeared to give companies legal protection. The Dyson ruling shattered that shield.

Law firms are bracing themselves for more such cases. Britain is already a favourable venue for suing multinationals: London hosts numerous firms, such as Leigh Day (which represented the claimants in the Dyson and Vedanta cases), that specialise in transnational group-action lawsuits and offer no-win-no-fee contracts or third-party funding. Robust disclosure laws add leverage. Once a case goes to trial companies are often compelled to share audit reports that show what they knew and when.

In January the High Court set a trial date in the Dyson case and ordered the disclosure of some audit reports from 2019-2021. The parties settled a few weeks later (Dyson said it was “not an admission of liability”.)

But courts are no substitute for Parliament. When lawmakers passed the Modern Slavery Act in 2015 Britain was hailed as a trailblazer. The act requires large firms to publish annual statements detailing their efforts to prevent forced labour in their supply chains. Supporters welcomed transparency, and believed that reputational risk would encourage firms to take measures to limit harm. Yet under the legislation firms can limit themselves to vague statements—and even to report simply that “no such steps” (to prevent forced labour) had been taken. Without any way to issue penalties for abuses or non-compliance, critics argue that the act is toothless.

Other countries have been bolder. In 2024 the European Union adopted a law that requires large firms to “identify, mitigate, prevent and bring to an end” human-rights abuses along their supply chains, with fines of up to 5% of global turnover. America in effect bars goods, like tomatoes, from Xinjiang, given the risk that they have been made using Uyghur forced labour. Britain has no such ban.

An investigation in August by the i Paper, a newspaper, found nearly £1bn of goods from Xinjiang on British shelves.

Andrew Wallis, the outgoing ceo of Unseen, an anti-slavery charity, warns that without stronger laws Britain “will increasingly be the dumping ground for tainted goods”. Moves from the government may be on the way. Labour is considering measures such as import bans and mandatory human-rights due diligence. ■

—

Dhan Kumar Limbu and others v Dyson Technology Limited, Dyson Limited and Dyson Manufacturing Sdn Bhd

Sourced from: https://www.leighday.co.uk/news/press-releases/2026-news/dhan-kumar-limbu-and-others-v-dyson-technology-limited-dyson-limited-and-dyson-manufacturing-sdn-bhd/

The parties to the claim entitled Dhan Kumar Limbu and others v Dyson Technology Limited, Dyson Limited and Dyson Manufacturing Sdn Bhd, issued with case reference QB-2022-001698, have reached a settlement of the proceedings. 

Posted on 27 February 2026

This resolution was reached in recognition of the expenses of litigation and the benefits of settlement.

The Defendants deny and have always denied all liability in respect of the Claimants, who were employed by a third-party supplier, at factories in Malaysia which were owned and operated by ATA Industrial (M) Sdn Bhd and its related entities.

This settlement is not an admission of liability on the part of the Defendants. 

DYSON STATEMENT HERE

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Law 360 March 2nd 2026: Dyson Settles Claims Over Labor Violations

By Sophia Douro

Sourced from: https://www.law360.com/articles/2447695/dyson-settles-claims-over-labor-violations

Law360, London (March 2, 2026, 6:07 PM GMT) — A group of workers suing Dyson over alleged forced labor when they made components at Malaysian factories have settled their claim against the electronics manufacturer, their lawyers said Monday.

Leigh Day, which represented 24 migrant workers, confirmed in an agreed statement that the claims were settled with no admission of liability from Dyson. The terms of the settlement are not publicly available.

“This resolution was reached in recognition of the expenses of litigation and the benefits of settlement,” the statement in the law firm’s website said.

The 24 claimants, from Nepal and Bangladesh, alleged they were trafficked from their home countries. They said they endured exploitative and abusive working and living conditions while employed by the third-party supplier of products and components for the Dyson Group, best known for its vacuum cleaners.

The workers alleged they were confined in crowded and unsanitary factory accommodation and forced to work more than 12 hours a day for less than the minimum wage. They also said they were tortured and beaten.

The third-party supplier is ATA IMS, a major, publicly listed company in Malaysia. ATA has also disputed the underlying allegations. Dyson ended its contract with ATA in 2021, according to earlier court filings.

The alleged abuses were publicized in a Channel 4 program in 2022, which followed alleged whistleblowing reports by one of the claimants, Dhan Kumar Limbu.

Dyson launched a defamation case against Channel 4 after the broadcast. But it dropped its case shortly after the U.K. broadcaster filed a defense in which it contended that the contents of the program were true.

The named defendants are Dyson Technology Ltd. and Dyson Ltd., which are registered in Britain, and Dyson Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd., a subsidiary based in Malaysia.

The workers wanted Dyson to compensate them for alleged negligence, false imprisonment and unjust enrichment. They alleged the appliances company had been aware of the purportedly unlawful conditions since at least November 2019.

The settlement follows a High Court decision in January which said that Dyson could face more than 100 new claims, after Leigh Day was contacted by hundreds of other workers alleging Similar abuses.

Dyson had earlier failed in its bid to have the case heard in Malaysia, after the U.K. Supreme Court refused to hear its appeal of an earlier jurisdictional challenge.

The Court of Appeal ruled that England was clearly the appropriate forum to hear the 24 workers’ case. That overturned a decision by the High Court, where a judge concluded that the case had strong links to Malaysia and would be better heard there.

Dyson has strongly denied the claims against it. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.

—

14 Jan 2026 PRESS RELEASE: UK High Court rules that forced labour and exploitation claims against Dyson (ATA Malaysia case) will be tried next year  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday 14 January 2026

High Court rules that forced labour and exploitation claims against Dyson will be tried next year 

Limbu v. Dyson Technology Ltd [2026] EWHC 38 (KB).pdf Download

A trial against Dyson companies of claims of modern slavery, forced labour and exploitation will take place in April 2027 (sourced from Leigh Day)

In a judgment handed down today, following a case management conference in December 2025, a judge ruled that the claims of 24 former migrant workers will be tried by listening to the cases of six individuals on the conditions in the Malaysian factories and worker accommodation in the Dyson electronics supply chain. The trial will determine the liability of the Dyson electronic corporate group to the six lead claimants.

Solicitors Journal 14th Jan 2026: Limbu v Dyson: High Court orders liability trial for migrant workers’ exploitation claims

Business Matters 14th Jan 2026: High Court rules forced labour claims against Dyson will go to trial in 2027

Law360 14th Jan 2026: Dyson Forced Labor Claims Could Swell Ahead Of 2027 Trial

Any compensation to be awarded and questions of the other claimants’ claims will be decided in a separate follow up trial.

The claimants, who are represented by law firm Leigh Day, allege that they were subjected to forced labour and false imprisonment while working to produce components for the Dyson supply chain, employed by Malaysian companies ATA Industrial (M) Sdn Bhd (ATA) and Jabco Filter System Sdn Bhd. 

The High Court ordered that Dyson must now disclose certain “known” documents referenced in the now discontinued defamation claims brought by Dyson against Channel Four News and ITN regarding news reports on the allegations of forced labour in their supply chain:

• Minutes from at least four separate meetings between Dyson and ATA that took place in 2021 regarding their ongoing commercial relationship.
• A report from RBA/Elevate dated September 2021 about an audit carried out in 2021 of ATA’s factory facilities.
• The reports from five audits carried out by Dyson or on their behalf by Intertek Group plc or its subsidiary between 2019 and 2021.
• Six letters from Martin Bowen, Dyson’s Chief Legal Officer, to ATA dated between May and  October 2021.
• The pre-approvals and requests from Dyson for ATA workers to work on rest days to maximise production volumes in 2021.

Mr Justice Pepperall stressed the need to ensure that the impoverished and vulnerable claimants were on an equal footing with the well-resourced and commercially experienced defendants, particularly given the allegations of very serious human rights abuses. 

He urged the parties to move forward with realism and cooperation, and said there was a compelling need for the case to be progressed promptly after the delay caused by Dyson’s claim that the case should be tried in Malaysia rather than England.

The Judge also noted that Leigh Day had made the court aware that it had been contacted by hundreds of other migrant workers with potential similar claims against Dyson. Up to 100 of those had been identified as having potentially valid claims which would be ready to file with the court early this year. The Judge noted that any such claims should not disrupt the trial of the present claims. 

In the coming months, the evidence from experts and factual witnesses, will be gathered and documents will be disclosed, including  internal documents from the Dyson defendant companies relating to their knowledge of the conditions in their supply chain. 

The former migrant workers are represented by law firm Leigh Day, and the claim is led by international team partner, Oliver Holland. His team includes Celine O’Donovan, Liberty Bridge and Benji Gourgey.

Oliver Holland said:

“The Claimants’ position has been strengthened by this judgment, as has access to justice in England and Wales generally.  

“The High Court has recognised the importance of an equality of arms in this case. This ruling helps protect the ability of our clients, who the High Court acknowledged are among the world’s poorest workers, to participate equally in a fair trial of their claims.

“We are keen to work with the courts to see this case progressed promptly and will work as efficiently as we can to achieve speedy justice for our clients.”

ENDS

Please direct any enquires to pressoffice@leighday.co.uk 

NOTES

The judgment can be accessed here.

The claims are brought against Dyson Technology Limited, an English company concerned with the invention, development, sale and service of domestic appliances and commercial hand dryers and batteries; Dyson Limited, an English company concerned with the sale and service of domestic appliances and commercial hand dryers; and Dyson Manufacturing Sdn Bhd, a Malaysian company concerned with the manufacture, sale and distribution of Dyson products.

The claimants argue that the Dyson companies controlled the working and living conditions at the factories through detailed contractual provisions with ATA and Jabco. They argue that Dyson exerted a high degree of control over operations and conditions at the factories and that Dyson knew, or ought reasonably to have known, of the high risk that workers might be subjected to unlawful forced labour and denied their minimum legal employment rights. The claim is pleaded in negligence, false imprisonment, intimidation, assault, battery, and unjust enrichment.

The defendants deny any liability to the claimants. They specifically deny that they assumed any responsibility towards the migrant workers in the Malaysian factories and that they owed such workers any duty of care. Dyson put the claimants to proof of their alleged working and living conditions while denying actual knowledge of the same. They argue that the claimants wrongly seek to hold Dyson liable for the actions of independent third parties that the defendants neither owned nor controlled. Dyson assert that many of the matters alleged are outside their knowledge and therefore they put the claimants to proof. Dyson deny any joint liability for intentional torts committed by third parties. Further, Dyson deny any liability in unjust enrichment. Such claim is, Dyson argue, misconceived in Malaysian law. Finally, Dyson assert that a number of claims are time-barred. 

In May 2025 Dyson was refused permission to appeal a Court of Appeal ruling that the allegations of forced labour and dangerous conditions at two ATA Malaysian factories which made electronic products for the company can be heard in the English courts. Dyson had argued that the claims should be brought in Malaysia.

Dyson terminated its contract with ATA in November 2021 following an audit and whistleblower complaint alleging unacceptable actions by ATA staff, including a senior executive.  

The Claimants allege they were subjected to forced labour, trafficking, and degrading living conditions while producing Dyson products in Malaysia at factories operated by ATA Industrial and Jabco. 

For more information contact Leigh Day press office at pressoffice@leighday.co.uk

Maxine Wolstenholme, Senior Media Relations Manager
Leigh Day Building C (Man 35), Central Park, Northampton Road, Manchester M40 5BP
Tel0161 537 1125  Mob07775 713725

—

Solicitors Journal 14th Jan 2026: Limbu v Dyson: High Court orders liability trial for migrant workers’ exploitation claims

14 Jan 2026 |

COURT REPORT

Split trial approved over preliminary issues in Malaysian factory conditions case

-The High Court has approved a split trial approach in complex litigation brought by Nepalese and Bangladeshi migrant workers against Dyson companies, rejecting the defendants’ proposal to determine threshold liability issues on assumed facts.

Twenty-four migrant workers claim they were subjected to forced labour, exploitative working conditions, and in some cases detention and assault whilst employed at two Malaysian factories manufacturing Dyson components. The claims against three Dyson entities are pleaded in negligence, false imprisonment, intimidation, assault, battery, and unjust enrichment.

Mr Justice Pepperall directed that liability issues in negligence and intentional torts should be tried using lead claimants, with quantum reserved for later determination. The unjust enrichment claim was excluded from the liability trial due to concerns about proportionality and the need for extensive forensic accounting evidence.

The defendants had sought to try preliminary issues on assumed facts without claimant evidence, arguing this approach would be more efficient. They proposed determining whether Dyson owed any duty of care, whether they breached it, and whether they could be jointly liable for intentional torts committed by factory managers, all on the assumption that the alleged mistreatment occurred as pleaded.

The court rejected this approach, finding it would risk unsafe conclusions on assumed facts that might later prove disputed. Pepperall J noted the conceptual difficulty of making findings about Dyson’s knowledge and control whilst assuming the truth of conditions that remained contested The proposal risked requiring appellate courts to grapple with novel Malaysian law questions on assumed facts, contrary to established guidance against such courses.

The judgement emphasised the “huge imbalance” between impoverished, vulnerable claimants and well-resourced corporate defendants, requiring case management to ensure equality of arms. The court noted particular concerns about enormous anticipated costs threatening the claimants’ access to justice through conditional fee arrangements, whilst defendants faced limited prospects of cost recovery even if successful.

Six lead claimants are to be identified, with Dhan Kumar Limbu highlighted as an obvious choice given his nine-year employment at the facilities and allegations of punishment for whistleblowing. The court suggested selecting claimants representing diverse experiences across both factories and nationalities.

The court ordered sharing of reports, meeting minutes, and correspondence regarding working conditions. Pepperall J found this targeted disclosure would address information asymmetry and allow timely consideration of any necessary amendments, outweighing minor inconvenience to the defendants.

The court struck out substantial portions of the claimants’ 66-page Reply as breaching pleading rules, though allowed re-amendments to plead aggravated damages based on the jurisdiction challenge and libel proceedings against broadcasters. The court found it properly arguable that these legal actions were calculated to impede the claims and prevent journalistic reporting.

The liability trial is scheduled for April 2027. Costs budgets totalling £5.2 million for claimants and €7.5 million for defendants were described as requiring substantial reconsideration, with the court expressing serious concern about the enormous expenditure and indicating budgets would not be approved at projected levels without compelling justification.

Legal News desk contact: editorial@solicitorsjournal.com

—

Law360 14th Jan 2026: Dyson Forced Labor Claims Could Swell Ahead Of 2027 Trial

By William Janes

Law360, London (January 14, 2026, 3:51 PM GMT) — Dyson could face around 100 more claims from workers alleging forced labor making components at Malaysian factories for the appliance manufacturer, a London court said Wednesday.

High Court Judge Edward Pepperall noted in the judgment that lawyers for the 24 workers currently suing Dyson told the court they could file the new claims in early 2026 after Leigh Day, which is representing the claimants, said it was contacted by hundreds more migrant workers who have alleged similar abuses.

According to the judgment, which deals with case management issues, the litigation “would be substantially expanded from the twenty-four current claimants to some four or five times that number” if the new potential claimants are joined to the case.

Judge Pepperall also set a liability trial date for April 2027, with another possible trial to determine damages later.

The 24 current claimants, from Nepal and Bangladesh, alleged they were trafficked from their home countries. They said they endured exploitative and abusive working and living conditions while employed by the third-party supplier of products and components for the Dyson Group, best known for its vacuum cleaners.

The workers alleged they were confined to crowded and insanitary factory accommodations and forced to work more than 12 hours a day for less than the minimum wage. They also said they were tortured and beaten.

The third-party supplier is ATA IMS, a major, publicly listed company in Malaysia. ATA also has disputed the underlying allegations. Dyson ended its contract with ATA in 2021, according to earlier court filings.

The alleged abuses were publicized in a Channel 4 program in 2022, which followed alleged whistleblowing reports by one of the claimants, Dhan Kumar Limbu.

Dyson launched a defamation case against Channel 4 after the broadcast. But it dropped its case shortly after the U.K. broadcaster filed a defense in which it contended the contents of the program were true.

The named defendants are Britain-registered companies Dyson Technology Ltd. and Dyson Ltd., and Dyson Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd., a subsidiary based in Malaysia.

The workers want Dyson to compensate them for alleged negligence, false imprisonment and unjust enrichment. They alleged the appliances company had been aware of the purportedly unlawful conditions since at least November 2019.

The revelation that the number of claimants could more than quadruple comes after Dyson lost its fight to have the case heard in Malaysia instead of the U.K.

The U.K. Supreme Court in May refused to hear Dyson’s appeal against the loss of its previous hallenge to the jurisdiction of English courts

The Court of Appeal ruled England was clearly the appropriate forum to hear the 24 workers’ case. That overturned a decision by the High Court, where a judge concluded the case had strong links to Malaysia and would be better heard there.

Dyson has strongly denied the claims against it. A Dyson spokesperson told Law360 on Wednesday that no additional names of ex-ATA employees in Malaysia have been added to the claim currently before the High Court nor have any details been provided by Leigh Day.

“Any complaints from ex-ATA employees in Malaysia should be directed at ATA, a publicly listed Malaysian company with its own management and shareholders,” the spokesperson said.

Dyson and Leigh did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday.

The claimants are represented by Edward Craven KC of Matrix Chambers, Piers Feltham of Radcliffe Chambers, Thomas Fairclough of 2 Temple Gardens, and Joshua Jackson of Doughty Street Chambers, instructed by Leigh Day.

Dyson is represented by Nicholas Sloboda KC and Veena Srirangam of One Essex Court, instructed by Slaughter and May.

The case is Dhan Kumar Limbu and others v. Dyson Technology Ltd. and others, case number QB-2022-001698, in the King’s Bench Division of the High Court of Justice of England and Wales.

–Additional reporting by Eddie Beaver and Joanne Faulkner. Editing by Lakshna Mehta.

—

29th August 2024 Channel 4 News: Dyson abandons libel claim against Channel 4 News report on Dyson/ATA Malaysia alleged migrant abuse saga

Channel 4 and ITN today confirm that Dyson abandons libel claim against Channel 4 News, after over two years of court proceedings.

Original Source: Channel 4 News – 29th August 2024

Dyson sued Channel 4 and the makers of the programme, ITN, after the programme reported on appalling conditions in factories in Malaysia where Dyson products were being manufactured.

In February 2022, Channel 4 News’ investigations team revealed how a group of migrant workers, recruited by Dyson’s contractor ATA IMS from countries including Nepal and Bangladesh to make appliances for Dyson, were taking legal action alleging exploitative working and living conditions.

It reported how concerns about forced labour conditions at ATA had been flagged to Dyson as far back as 2019; concerns Dyson categorically denied until September 2021 when an extensive audit revealed serious abuses at the factory. ATA also denied the allegations.

Before the broadcast, Channel 4 News put the allegations formally to Dyson who responded by warning that if the programme ran the allegations, it could be liable for billions of pounds of damages. Confident of its journalism, Channel 4 News broadcast the story.

A protracted and costly two-year legal battle that followed has now come to an end, after the programme submitted its lengthy 184-page defence to the High Court.

Sir James Dyson’s individual claim over the report was struck out back in 2022, after the High Court ruled the allegations of exploitation of workers at a factory that used to supply goods to his firm did not defame him.

Campaigners have today hailed the outcome as a victory for public interest journalism.

In a joint statement, Channel 4 and ITN said: 

“Channel 4 and ITN confirm that the company has abandoned its claim against the programme, two years after it investigated appalling conditions in Malaysian factories where their products were made.

Despite prolonged and costly court proceedings, Channel 4 News was determined to defend its fair, accurate, and duly impartial reporting. The freedom to report without fear or favour is essential to both the industry and a thriving democracy.

Today’s outcome underscores the vital role of robust, independent investigative reporting that is clearly in the public interest and sets an important precedent for the future of investigative journalism in the UK.”

In a statement to Channel 4 News ahead of its broadcast tonight on the case, Dyson said:

“We strenuously deny the false claims made by Channel 4 News in its broadcast. It is ATA – an independent manufacturer – that must answer questions about its treatment of its workers in Malaysia. The comoany will never condone the mistreatment of workers anywhere in the world and defends its reputation when it is necessary.”

“It is categorically wrong to describe this defamation action as a SLAPP. This was a legitimate complaint against false claims made in a broadcast which harmed Dyson’s reputation. Like anyone, they are allowed to exercise its right and defend its reputation through the Courts.”

Speaking to Channel 4 News for its reporting on the case today, Charlie Holt of the UK Anti-Slapp Coalition said:

“These legal tactics are used by anyone who seeks to block accountability. We’ve seen them used by Russian oligarchs, by corporations such as Dyson, and other powerful figures.  And they’re used against a range of different communities seeking to exercise their democratic rights to speak out and advance accountability.”

“These lawsuits represent a form of legal bullying which are designed to force the target to retract their criticism. And they do that by using the litigation process to harass, intimidate and drive up costs.”

Meanwhile, Dhan Khumar Limbu and 22 other former migrant workers continue to fight for compensation from Dyson which denies any liability.  Dyson is vigorously fighting their claim – and the next hearing will be at the Court of Appeal.

Channel 4 News’ report of February 2022 is available to view again here.

Background Reading:

1st June 2025 Leigh Day Blog: UK Supreme Court refuses to grant Dyson permission to appeal the first jurisdiction challenge post-Brexit

Law 360 9th May 2025: Dyson Loses Bid To Take Forced Labor Claim To UK Top Court

8th May 2025 – Leigh Day: Migrant workers’ case to proceed in English courts following Supreme Court refusal of Dyson appeal

8th May 2025 FMT: Former ATA Malaysia migrant workers’ forced labour case to proceed in English courts following Supreme Court refusal of Dyson appeal 

13th Dec 2024 Reuters: UK Court of Appeal confirms allegations of forced labour and dangerous conditions for migrant workers at Malaysian factory ATA, making products for Dyson, can be heard in UK Court

Leigh Day Press Release 13th Dec 2024: Court of Appeal confirms allegations of forced labour and dangerous conditions at Malaysian factories making products for Dyson can be heard in UK (Limbu v Dyson Court Judgement Full.pdfDownload)

29th August 2024 Channel 4 News (YouTube Video): Dyson abandons libel case against Channel 4 News over Malaysia worker investigation

26th June 2024 For Immediate Release Leigh Day (London) Press Statement: Migrant workers get permission to appeal decision that their case against Dyson (ATA Malaysia forced labour allegations) should not be heard in the English Courts

15th Dec 2023: Dyson v Channel 4 & ITN – trial of preliminary issues

20th Oct 2023: UK High Court Rejects Alleged Forced Labour Claims by Migrant Workers Against Dyson – Comments by Andy Hall

10th Oct 2023: Dyson hoovers up on appeal against Channel 4 and ITN

26th July 2023: Dyson wins right to pursue exploitation libel claim versus Channel 4 News

10th July 2023 Leigh Day Press Release: Allegations of forced labour and dangerous conditions at Dyson Malaysian factory

9th Nov 2022 Leigh Day Press Release: Migrant workers issue legal claim against Dyson for alleged forced labour and abusive working conditions.

Bloomberg/Press Association 31st Oct 2022: Sir James Dyson’s Libel Claim Against Channel 4 Dismissed by Judge

Telegraph (UK) 11th Oct 2022: Dyson to fight lawsuit alleging use of forced labour at Malaysian supplier’s factory

Guardian 6th Oct 2022: James Dyson sues Channel 4 for libel over news report on Malaysian ATA EMS factory migrant worker forced labour claims brought in UK court

Reuters 12th Feb 2022: Dyson faces UK forced labour compensation claims from former workers at Malaysian supplier ATA

Unite Press Release 11 Feb 2022: Calls for Dyson supply chain reform following Malaysia abuse allegations

Channel 4 News 10 Feb 2022: Exclusive Channel 4 News Video Report 18m 52s – Dyson faces UK legal action over ‘forced labour’ and exploitation at Malaysian ATA Supplier

Leigh Day Press Release 10th Feb 2022: Dyson accused of forced labour and dangerous conditions by migrant workers in Malaysian factory

The post For Immediate Release 27th Feb 2026: Comment Attributable to Andy Hall, Independent Migrant Worker Rights Specialist, on the Dyson/ATA (Malaysia) Landmark Forced Labour Case Settlement Announcement appeared first on Andy Hall.

By business reporter Ben Butler

• The Business
• Topic: Human Rights

In short:

Anti-slavery commissioner Chris Evans has warned Australia is falling behind in stamping out slavery and needs tougher laws.

He says there is a vast difference between the best and the worst cases of Australian companies dealing with forced labour in supply chains.

There are concerns forced labour may be used in the supply chains of two big companies — glove-maker Ansell and budget retailer Kmart — both of which have defended their practices.

Sourced from: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-17/anti-slavery-commissioner-tough-laws-dumping-ground-kmart-ansell/106349728

Australia’s anti-slavery commissioner has called for tough new laws forcing Australian companies to take slavery in their supply chains seriously.

Chris Evans told the ABC that existing laws, which only required disclosure of slavery risks, had proven too weak, with too many Australian companies taking a “tick-a-box” approach to compliance.

The commissioner works with governments, businesses and other stakeholders to prevent and respond to slavery, including forced labour and debt bondage (when people are forced to work to repay debts).

Mr Evans warned Australia was falling behind key markets such as Europe when it came to stamping out slavery, saying the country was already becoming a dumping ground for slave-made goods that could not be sold elsewhere.

The lack of effective Australian laws would also make it more difficult to sell our goods into markets with strong anti-slavery laws, he said.

“There’s pressure on us to do better anyway, particularly for those companies who trade with Europe or whose goods go to Europe, but increasingly we’re seeing [the] UK, New Zealand [and] others looking to move as well, and effectively it’s time for us to move,” he said.

His call comes amid concerns forced labour may be used in the supply chains of two big Australian companies: glove-maker Ansell and budget retailer Kmart.

Ansell has been embroiled in controversy over allegations of slavery in its supply chain for years, most recently over a supplier in Malaysia that made moulds for its gloves using workers from Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, a group of Uyghur women took Kmart to court last week seeking to discover whether Chinese factories that made its cotton garments used slave labour.

Mr Evans raised concerns about the treatment of workers at Ansell’s Malaysian supplier, MediCeram, after the ABC reported on the case in November.

Laws not about ‘ticking the box’

In an interview with the ABC, the anti-slavery commissioner declined to speak about any specific cases but said that while some companies were doing a good job finding and eliminating slavery in their supply chains, a lot of companies were “not taking it seriously”.

“Effectively, the current law is voluntary,” Mr Evans said.

“People are asked to report but they don’t actually have any penalties if they don’t report and there’s no measurement of the quality of what’s done.

“The difference between the best and the worst is huge.

“Some just give us one page … saying, ‘Our company has a very strong policy, we’re opposed to slavery, thank you very much.’

“That’s not what the law was about.”MediCeram fires workers

Malaysian company MediCeram, which previously made moulds for Australian glove-maker Ansell, has denied claims it abused the rights of its Bangladeshi workers.

In a submission to a government review, Mr Evans said Australian companies should have a duty to perform due diligence to detect and combat slavery in their supply chains.

It would operate in a similar manner to duties companies already had to fight money laundering and terrorism finance, Mr Evans told the ABC.

He also wants the power to declare certain industries, products or services high-risk, which would force Australian companies to increase the due diligence carried out when importing such goods.

“What we would be able to do is say, ‘Alright … the garment industry, seafood, these are high-risk areas for modern slavery.'”

Ansell supplier accused of wage theft, forced labour

About 200 Bangladeshi nationals who worked at Ansell supplier MediCeram paid big fees to brokers in Bangladesh to get to Malaysia.

But relations between the workers and MediCeram broke down last year.

In a complaint filed with Australian authorities on behalf of the workers, activist Andy Hall accused MediCeram of wage theft, forced labour and confiscating passports.

“They’re facing a situation of, I guess, systemic forced labour stemming from debt bondage from the recruitment costs they paid to come in from Bangladesh,” Mr Hall told the ABC.

After the initial flare-up, the company agreed to pay remediation to the workers for the broker fees they had paid.

But the dispute erupted again after workers accused the company of breaking the deal and went on strike.

In response, the company began deporting workers.

Mafizur was one of the earliest to go. Before he was deported, he recorded a video pleading for help from MediCeram customers.

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Ansell’s slavery allegations

Shuvo still has flashbacks about what happened to him inside a glove factory in Malaysia. He now wants justice.

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He said the company had arranged his flight — but not paid his money.

“Without paying my money, how do I go to Bangladesh?” he asked.

“I have many, many bank loans. Now I want to suicide.

“Without money I cannot go back.”

Mr Hall, campaigning for those affected, told the ABC the majority of workers, including Mafizur, had been deported but about 30 workers had been left behind.

“I think it’s clear that Ansell is responsible for this situation,” he said.

“From what we understand, they didn’t do effective due diligence — even maybe they didn’t do any due diligence at all — before they started sourcing from the company, even though the risks of forced labour amongst Bangladeshi workers are so high in Malaysia.

“Their whole system for assessing risk … preventing forced labour and remediating forced labour, needs to be completely overhauled as a result of this case.”

Ansell said it did undertake due diligence, including third-party audits of suppliers.

Mr Hall said the risks of sourcing from companies in Malaysia that used Bangladeshi labour were well-known.

“There’s a systemic issue of Bangladeshi workers being trafficked by an alleged criminal syndicate for forced labour in Malaysia,”

he said.

“This is so well-known, and any company that sources products from Malaysia and those products are manufactured in any way using Bangladeshi workers, is clearly complicit in that system.”

MediCeram has declared itself insolvent and appointed liquidators.

Its chairman, Arumugam Suppiah, blamed Mr Hall for the dispute and the company’s collapse.

“Andy Hall has managed to destroy MediCeram and in the process damaged the reputation of Bangladesh as a reliable source of labour,” he told the ABC.

“Malaysia has robust laws to protect against human trafficking.

“As Andy Hall knows, the abuse is at [the] source in Bangladesh, and Malaysian companies are directed to get workers from designated agents.

“All workers were fed well, put up in government-approved accommodation and given tickets to return to Bangladesh. No-one accompanied them to force them to even board the plane.

“Any genuine compassion for workers should also apply to the Malaysian workers who are unemployed because of the relentless false propaganda by Andy Hall.”

In a statement, Ansell said it acted swiftly after being told of serious labour rights allegations against MediCeram in March last year.

It said it had provided financial assistance to help MediCeram reimburse workers about $US1 million ($1.4 million).

“Despite these sustained efforts by Ansell, relations between MediCeram and its migrant workers broke down in October 2025. MediCeram terminated the workers’ employment and began repatriating them to Bangladesh,” the company said.

“Ansell advised MediCeram that the terminations were not appropriate and took the difficult but appropriate decision to suspend the relationship.”

It said it was now supporting the workers with food aid and to get home to Bangladesh.

Uyghur community takes Kmart to court

At $10, Kmart’s own-brand T-shirts are a bargain.

But Australia’s Uyghur community fears that behind the cheap price lurks slavery.

For years the Uyghurs, a Muslim minority community that mostly lives in the north-western autonomous region of Xinjiang, have been persecuted by the Chinese government. Kmart facing legal action over belief it’s sourcing products linked to forced labour 

An Australian-based Uyghur group has filed action against the retail giant in the Federal Court.

Millions of Uyghurs are detained and transferred to work camps in what the government claims is an anti-terrorism measure.

But last month, UN experts said the program enabled forced labour and in many cases, the coercive elements were “so severe that they may amount to forcible transfer and/or enslavement as a crime against humanity”.

Last week, the Australian Uyghur Tangritagh Women’s Association (AUTWA) took Kmart to the Federal Court seeking documents about two suppliers linked to Xinjiang.

It wants to know if the suppliers are using Uyghur slave labour.

“Since 2017, we’ve had credible reports of millions of Uyghurs being detained and taken into concentration camps, which are later funnelled into labour camps,” AUTWA president Ramila Chanisheff told the ABC.

“Now there’s credible evidence out there that a lot of those labour camps make the apparel or cotton products that enter the Western countries and especially here in Australia.

“We’re very concerned because we all do have families, all Australian Uyghurs have family members, who have disappeared, and there’s credible evidence of them being taken into these labour camps to work and make the very products that are entering into this country.”

The Human Rights Law Centre (HRLC) and law firm Maurice Blackburn are supporting AUTWA in the case.

HRLC associate director Freya Dinshaw told the ABC that where there were suspicions of links to forced labour, “it simply shouldn’t be up to members of the public to take companies to court and force them to open their books”.

She supported the anti-slavery commissioner’s push for a due diligence law.

“Australian companies should have a duty to take steps to investigate and address … slavery in their supply chains and face hard consequences if they don’t,” she said.

A Kmart spokesperson said the company was “committed to upholding human rights within our operations and supply chains”.

“We are disappointed that despite numerous invitations, the AUTWA and its lawyers refused to meet to clarify their concerns and chose to apply to the court to compel Kmart to produce a vast range of documents, the purpose of which was unclear,” the spokesperson said.

“We welcome discussions with any organisation raising credible concerns, so that we may take appropriate action to investigate and address them in accordance with our policies and commitments.”

AUTWA’s solicitors, Maurice Blackburn, told the ABC the group “commenced this court proceeding only after spending more than 12 months explaining to Kmart its legitimate concerns about two of its suppliers and seeking documents held by Kmart, which go to the relevant issues”.

“It is only because of Kmart’s refusals to provide AUTWA with any of the documents that AUTWA commenced a proceeding in the Federal Court.”

The court has reserved its decision.

Too cheap to be ‘slave-free’?

Slavery expert Fiona David said Australians should consider whether some of the things they bought were just too cheap to be slave-free.

“I think we do have to think about what is a reasonable price range that consumers should be paying, and what are the systems and processes that we require companies to have so that consumers know that what they’re buying is not based on exploitation?”

She said there also needed to be a way to stop slave-made goods at the border.

“I think it’s pretty incredible that in 2026 you can import goods into Australia with no consideration of whether or not they’ve been made by forced labour or human slavery,”

she said.

The anti-slavery commissioner, Mr Evans, also wants border controls, but they are not under consideration by the government in its current review.

He told the ABC the sale of slave-made goods was already a significant issue Australia — and it could get worse.

“I think it’s started already, but certainly I think we’re at risk of becoming seriously impacted by unlawful or poor-practice suppliers selling their goods into the Australian market because they can’t get into other markets,” he said.

FMT 26th Dec 2025: Bangladeshi workers obtain court injunction against mould manufacturer Mediceram (Ansell supplier) in Malaysia

Sean Augustin

The order bars their employer from deporting them pending a disposal of their civil claim and suit at the industrial court.

PETALING JAYA:

Sourced from: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2025/12/26/bangladeshi-workers-obtain-injunction-against-mould-manufacturer

DONATE NOW: Emergency Appeal – Stop the Forced Repatriation of Migrant Workers in Malaysia. Please support victims of alleged modern slavery and forced labour by making a contribution now, to ensure justice and compensation is achieved. Ensure accountability too.

DONATE AT https://fnd.us/a2fGp7?ref=sh_9EIdS2

Close to 100 Bangladeshi workers for a glove mould manufacturer have obtained an ex parte injunction against their employer to prevent them from being deported, among others, pending the disposal of their civil claim and suit at the industrial court.

High Court judge Haldar Abdul Aziz allowed the workers’ ex parte application against Mediceram Sdn Bhd today.

According to the injunction, Mediceram is also barred from taking any action against the 93 workers, including revoking their work permits or temporary employment visit passes.

Open Letter re modern day slavery Mediceram Australian unions to Ansell

“Mediceram is ordered to immediately surrender all original passports and other personal documents belonging to the foreign workers,” the injunction read.

MWN letter to Malaysian HC in Dhaka 12-30-2025

According to a statement of claim filed Dec 22, the Bangladeshi workers alleged that they had their passports held upon arrival by the employer and that they were allegedly mistreated, which subsequently led to protests and strikes.

MWN letter to Bangladeshi HC in Malaysia

In some instances it also led to wrongful termination of jobs, they alleged.

According to the statement of claim, the workers are seeking several injunctions, general, exemplary and aggravated damages.

They were represented by lawyers Louis Liaw and Irdina Azira Edzlyzam.

Haldar fixed Jan 7 for the inter partes hearing.

Mediceram had rejected the workers’ allegations as “fabricated claims and scandalous innuendos and negative imputations outrightly”.

MWN FULL Public Statement 26th December 2025 on Court Injunction

ABC News 23rd Nov 2025: 15 Bangladeshi Migrant workers deported from Ansell-linked Malaysian glove factory Mediceram after abuse allegations

By investigative reporter Ben Butler

Sourced from: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11-23/ansell-mediceram-human-rights-abuse-allegations/106039160?utm_source=abc_news_web&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_webManufacturer MediCeram has been accused of human rights abuses by its workers. (Facebook: MediCeram Sdn Bhd)

In short:

A former supplier for the Australian glove company Ansell has fired migrant workers after claims of human rights abuses at its Malaysian factory.

Mould manufacturer MediCeram is accused of abusing the rights of more than 200 Bangladeshi workers, with Ansell suspending its partnership with the company.

MediCeram has denied all allegations and says it is the target of an “unfair” campaign.

A Malaysian factory that makes moulds for Australian glove-maker Ansell has fired migrant workers amid claims of human rights abuses, causing some of them to be deported to Bangladesh.

In a September complaint lodged with the Australian Treasury, which runs a mechanism designed to resolve overseas labour disputes involving Australian companies, activist Andy Hall accused factory operator MediCeram of seriously abusing the rights of more than 200 Bangladeshi workers at the company.

The alleged abuses, which were vehemently denied by MediCeram, included wage theft, forced labour, confiscation of passports and the deportation of more than 30 workers who complained to management. 

Following Mr Hall’s complaint, the workers went on strike, alleging MediCeram had failed to adhere to a deal to repay them for recruitment fees they paid to agents to get their jobs at the Malaysian factory and had failed to renew the visas of more than 90 employees.

In response, MediCeram fired 180 workers, causing some of them to be deported back to Bangladesh.

Ansell suspends partnership following allegations

Ansell, which had been supporting the remediation program, suspended MediCeram as a supplier and publicly expressed its unhappiness with the company.

Ansell has also faced questions both in public at its annual shareholder meeting and behind closed doors from large institutional shareholders.

The ABC can reveal that institutional investor Allan Gray, a company that owns about 15 per cent of Ansell, has been in close contact with the company over the issue.

The first 10 deported Bangladeshi workers arrived home in the country’s capital of Dhaka in front of cameras from at least two TV networks on November 5.

On Thursday this week, another batch of 20 workers who were set to be deported over the weekend visited the Bangladeshi High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, seeking help in delaying their expulsion so they could continue legal action for unfair dismissal in Malaysia.

In a statement, the workers said Deputy High Commissioner Mosammat Shahanara Monica told them she would try to postpone the flights by talking to MediCeram, but could not give a guarantee she would succeed.

The ABC has contacted the deputy high commissioner for comment regarding the outcome.

MediCeram boss claims ‘unfair’ activist-led campaign

MediCeram’s chairman, Arumugam Suppiah, could not be reached for comment about the latest allegations.

He previously told the ABC Mr Hall’s campaign against the company was “unfair, and intimidation by the so-called labour activist”.

“Ansell is a respectable company and MediCeram has complied with all local rules,” Mr Suppiah said.

“All the allegations can be refuted with supporting documents.”

In response to questions at the Ansell annual shareholder meeting on October 29, chairman Nigel Gerrard said labour rights in Asia were “not an easy situation”.

He said the company was one of the first to commit to repaying recruitment fees and, since 2019, had refunded 20,000 workers.

“Unfortunately, I think Ansell is sometimes unfairly positioned,” he said.

“We’re not happy with what happened at MediCeram.

“We are absolutely determined that that 20,000 will continue until everyone has been repaid.”

Ansell previously supported MediCeram’s remediation program by ordering and paying for glove moulds ahead of time so that the Malaysian company could fund payments to workers.

But the relationship fell apart on October 31 when MediCeram sacked its Bangladeshi workforce.

On November 5, Ansell told the ABC it had suspended purchases from MediCeram, saying it was “surprised” by the sackings.

“We promptly expressed our clear view to MediCeram that this was not an appropriate course of action in the circumstances,” a spokesperson said.

“In the absence of any willingness by MediCeram to reconsider, Ansell has made the decision to suspend its supplier relationship with the company.”

Shareholder activist highlights history of complaints

The shareholder activist who asked Mr Gerrard about labour rights at the AGM, Ron Guy, told the ABC that Ansell’s systems to prevent abuse in its supply chain were not working.

He pointed to Ansell’s previous difficulties in preventing worker abuse in its supply chain.

A previous complaint to Treasury made by union IndustriALL, alleging workers at Ansell factories in Sri Lanka and Malaysia were coerced into agreeing to unsafe working conditions and suffered significant health issues from workplace contamination, was settled in 2017. Ansell denied the allegations.

“These things keep popping up, so obviously something’s failing with their procedures,” said Mr Guy, a member of a regional trades union human rights shareholder group.

He said the MediCeram workers deserved a fair chance to put their case before the courts in Malaysia.

“They’ve paid a small fortune, they’ve probably got their families together to collect all the money for them to work,” he said.

“They haven’t been paid properly, they’ve had their passports taken and now they’re going to be deported.”

21st Nov Green Left AUS: Bangladeshi workers (alleged forced labour victims) in Ansell’s supply chain (Mediceram, Malaysia) face deportation

• Ron Guy

November 21, 2025, Issue 1443, News

Migrant rights activists allege Ansell, which manufactures personal protective equipment in more than 100 countries, is not doing enough to ensure its supply chain companies treat their workers fairly.

Sourced from: https://www.greenleft.org.au/2025/1443/news/bangladeshi-workers-ansells-supply-chain-face-deportation

Human rights activists are demanding the Australian-based Ansell take steps to prevent the forced repatriation of Bangladeshi workers from Ansell’s contractor, Mediceram, in Malaysia.

Twenty six Bangladeshi workers in a glove mould factory in Negeri Sembilan received tickets from Mediceram on November 18 for flights to Dhaka on November 22-23.

See also Complaint lodged against Ansell’s treatment of foreign workers (Green Left 15th Nov)

None want to return to Bangladesh because a conciliation hearing to contest their unfair dismissal and visa cancellations is set down for next week.

The workers have requested a new employer, rather than repatriation, so they can continue to work in Malaysia. However, Malaysian regulations do not allow foreign workers to change employer, even in cases of serious workplace abuse.

Employers can, however, consent to workers changing their boss. But Mediceram is refusing to agree, instead cancelling the workers’ visas after dismissing them over a work stoppage it had consented to.

The affected workers travelled to the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur on November 19 to request help to move from Mediceram’s accommodation to a safe house and avoid the deportation. They were denied assistance.

One hundred and eighty former Mediceram workers, who were unfairly dismissed in late October, allege they paid large sums of money to work in Malaysia, only to have their passports withheld, permits not renewed, while being forced to live crowded and sub-standard accommodation.

They also allege wage theft, unrealistic targets and bullying and violence. The workers’ leaders have been dismissed, had their visas cancelled and face deportation.

Time is running out for these workers as their legal avenues of redress close up.

“These workers have families and communities in Bangladesh who depend on them. Empty stomachs and no education for their families should not be used as a weapon by contract companies within the Ansell supply chain,”  Andy Hall, a migrant worker rights activist, told Green Left.

Slavery was abolished in 1833 in the British Empire, but it took until 2018 for Australia to introduce the Modern Slavery Act.Mediceram workers protest earlier in 2025 against injustice

Ansell claims to carry out its business in line with Australian environmental, social and governance standards and modern anti-slavery laws. Yet, its global supply chains maintain slave-like conditions.

Australian corporations must report annually if there has been any indication of slavery in their business. Importantly, they should have a duty to prevent and remediate modern-day slavery.

Corporations should be legally required to investigate and address concerns about forced labour in their supply chains, or face the consequences. 

Unions also need to ensure that industry superannuation funds are not benefiting from enslavement practices. Coles was embarrassed by the United Workers Union (UWU) in 2019 over migrant worker abuse. It led to management, together with unions, to work together to address problems.

If it is unacceptable for Australian workers to be mistreated, the same rules must apply to companies with supply chains in the Asia-Pacific. The recent Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) complaint against Ansell over Mediceram highlights the challenge.

The affected Bangladeshi workers have no remedy in Australia beyond a drawn-out, involuntary and unenforceable OECD complaints process, in which Hall is supporting them.

Complaints about global supply chains mistreating their workers take too long to be resolved. Unions should push federal Labor, via their superannuation funds, to give the Modern Slavery Act real teeth so that any supply chain company which effectively enslaves its workers must be bought to justice.

Daily Star 15th Nov 2025: Bangladeshi High Commission to Mediceram – ‘Reinstate 170 workers’ in Ansell global gloves supply chain alleged forced labour case in Malaysia 

Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia writes to Mediceram 

DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT

Sourced from https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/diplomacy/news/reinstate-170-workers-4035261

Sat Nov 15, 2025

Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia has formally written to Mediceram, requesting the company to reinstate more than 170 migrants dismissed on October 31 and to thoroughly review the workers’ allegations.

The high commission made the statement on its Facebook page yesterday, two days after Ansell Limited — the Australia-based buying company — announced it had suspended its relationship with Mediceram, a small Malaysian supplier of ceramic formers.

Mediceram terminated 177 Bangladeshi workers on October 31 after they protested the non-renewal of work visas for more than 90 migrants.

In early November, Malaysian authorities deported 16 of the workers after Mediceram allegedly forced them to the airport.

Upon returning home, the workers formed human chains in Dhaka and Cumilla and submitted a letter to Expatriates’ Welfare Adviser Prof Asif Nazrul, seeking justice over the forced deportation.

Each migrant had spent between Tk 450,000 and Tk 600,000 to migrate to Malaysia. Many received irregular and low wages, and several had their work permits left unrenewed.

The high commission said it contacted the company’s chairman and the workers after receiving the termination notices, offering cooperation to resolve the issue peacefully. It held several rounds of discussions with both sides.

Following the restructuring of the company’s management, several positive measures improved working conditions, but some disputes remained.

In response to the High Commission’s request, Mediceram has expressed willingness to resolve the issue quickly and agreed to reinstate the striking workers immediately, subject to their return to work and clearance from Malaysian immigration.Bangladeshi workers who were employed by Malaysian companies hold banners during a protest in front of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment demanding unpaid wages, fair compensation and an end to alleged abuse by Malaysian soldiers employers, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monday, Nov. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu)

BHRRC Malaysia: Bangladeshi workers employed by glove co. Mediceram supplying to major multinationals protest alleged rights abuses & forced deportations; incl. cos. responses

On November 4, Mediceram executives dragged us onto a bus to the airport. We were literally crying.

Bangladeshi worker employed by Mediceram

In November 2025, it was reported that 180 Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia were allegedly dismissed by the Malaysian glove manufacturer Mediceram at the end of October after they protested the non-renewal of many of their visas. Mediceram – a glove manufacturer – allegedly supplies to major multinationals including Ansell, YTY and Top Glove.

Ten of the Bangladeshi workers allegedly were then deported after being “forcibly” taken to the airport by Mediceram executives, and an additional six were deported later in November, according to The Daily Star. The remaining workers were allegedly threatened with deportation by the company. Later in November, around 150 of the workers wrote an ‘open letter’ protesting the forced repatriations and urging intervention in the case. The open letter calls for the workers to be transferred to a new employer.

The allegations follow previous reporting of labour rights violations at Mediceram, including wage theft and recruitment fee charging. Reporting says that, while Mediceram refunded the workers’ recruitment fees, the workers’ visas remained expired, which led to repeated protests throughout the year.

According to reporting by ABC News in September 2025, a complaint was lodged with the federal Treasury in Australia (which runs the Australian National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct) against buyer Ansell, alleging a range of abuses at Mediceram, including wage theft, debt bondage and forced labour. Ansell told ABC Newsthat it investigated the allegations and “identified a number of issues that did not meet international labour standards”. Mediceram denied the allegations.

In November 2025, the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited Mediceram, Top Glove, YTY and Ansell to respond to the allegations of dismissal and forced deportations, and to disclose the steps they have taken to investigate and remedy workers for the abuse reported. We also invited the buyers to disclose any human rights due diligence they undertake prior to entering into contracts with suppliers and when monitoring working conditions at suppliers. Responses from Mediceram, Ansell, Top Glove and YTY can be read below.

Later in November, several news outlets reported that around 100 workers employed by Mediceram and another Malaysian company, Kawaguchi Manufacturing, protested in Kuala Lumpur demanding unpaid wages, fair compensation and an end to labour rights abuse (The Associated Press could not immediately reach the companies for comment – see more on abuses at Kawaguchi Manufacturing here, including responses from the buyers).l

It was also reported that Ansell suspended its relationship with Mediceram (see Ansell’s press release here), and that the workers have filed a police complaint against Mediceram.

Company Responses

YTY Industries View Response

Ansell View Response

Top Glove View Response

MediCeram View Response

Timeline

• Daily Star 16 Nov 2025 – Bangladeshi workers file police reports against Malaysian company
• Daily Star 15 Nov 2025 – ‘Reinstate 170 workers’
• YTY response re- alleged labour rights abuses at Mediceram
• Ansell response re- alleged labour rights abuses at Mediceram
• Top Glove’s response re-alleged labour rights abuses at Mediceram
• Mediceram response re- alleged labour rights abuses of Bangladeshi employees
• Associated Press 10th Nov 2025 – Bangladeshi workers protest in Malaysia over unpaid wages and mistreatment claims
• Daily Star 8th Nov 2025 – 152 Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia protest forced repatriation
• Daily Star 6th Nov 2025 – Dream turns into despair for 10 deported migrants
• Around 190 Bangladeshi Migrant Workers at Mediceram Dismissed for Demanding Fair and Dignified Working Conditions
• Daily Star 3rd Nov 2025 – Malaysia’s Mediceram sends back 10 Bangladeshis
• ABC 10th Sept 2025 – Australian glove-maker Ansell accused of exploiting workers at Malaysian factory of supplier, MediCeram

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14th Nov 2025 Bangaldeshi High Commission KL Statement on Mediceram: Bangladeshi workers protest with Malaysian Mediceram company

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Green Left 15th Nov 2025: Complaint lodged against Ansell’s treatment of foreign workers

• Kerry Smith

Naarm/Melbourne

November 15, 2025, Issue 1443, News

Many Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia face discrimination, including those working for Ansell subsidiaries.

Read full story at: https://www.greenleft.org.au/2025/1443/news/complaint-lodged-against-ansells-treatment-foreign-workers

Migrant worker rights activist Andy Hall has lodged a complaint to the Australian government about Mediceram’s, Ansell’s Malaysian supplier, treatment of its workers.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) complaint came to light at Ansell’s annual general meeting on October 29 in Naarm/Melbourne.

Ansell’s performance has been tainted by a perceived lack of due diligence in its supply chain.

Regional Trade Unions Human Rights Shareholder Group representative Ron Guy, who is also a member of the Ballarat Regional Trades and Labour Council, asked Ansell chair Nigel Garrard about the cost of fighting paying compensation to complainants in another case connected to an Ansell supplier. Garrard replied that doing business in Asia was difficult.

Hall’s OECD application alleged Ansell had failed in its due diligence. Foreign workers, many from Bangladesh, suffer threats and bullying, delayed wages and poor living conditions.

They allege their passports were taken and, without work permit renewals, they became “illegal”. Focus Malaysia reported on November 12 that 15 Bangladeshi workers were forced to return home from Malaysia because they demanded permit renewals and payment for former workers. The Migrant Welfare Network, based in Malaysia and Bangladesh, alleges that 400 affected workers from Mediceram and Kawaguchi Manufacturing were still owed wages.

Hall and his team, who have been campaigning against modern-day slavery, are being accused of corruption by Ansell’s PR firm Sefiani. Instead of focusing on illuminating modern day slavery, its strategy is to discredit the messenger. 

Ansell said on November 12 it had suspended its relationship with Mediceram and that it was paying out more than US$1 million to workers “ahead of originally agreed timelines”. It said it was “surprised” that Mediceram had terminated 177 foreign workers.

As Australia’s superannuation funds continue to grow, much of it coming from union members, the expectation must be that profits are not derived from modern-day slavery or genocide.

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12th Nov 2025: ANSELL (AUSTRALIA) SUSPENDS SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIP WITH MEDICERAM MALAYSIA OVER UNFAIR DISMISSALS AND FORCED DEPORTATION OF ALLEGED BANGLADESHI FORCED LABOUR VICTIMS

Ansell Mediceram Release 12Nov25.pdfDownload

Richmond, VIC – 12 November 2025 – Ansell Limited (ASX: ANN) a global leader in protection solutions, announced it has suspended its relationship with Mediceram, a small Malaysian supplier of ceramic formers. The suspension stems from concerns about deteriorating relations between Mediceram and its foreign workers, following repeated strike actions over issues including the renewal of work visas, which remain pending with the relevant Malaysian immigration and labour authorities.

As advised in a statement last August, Mediceram entered into a remediation agreement with its workers following concerns raised by its customers including Ansell.

Progress has been made in implementing this agreement, with more than USD 1 million in recruitment fees reimbursed to current workers ahead of originally agreed timelines, supported by favourable trading terms provided by Ansell.

Ansell was therefore surprised to be informed on 31 October that Mediceram had terminated 177 foreign workers on the grounds of their refusal to work. We promptly expressed our clear view to Mediceram that this was not an appropriate course of action in these circumstances. In the absence of any willingness by Mediceram to reconsider, Ansell informed Mediceram on 4 November 2025 that Ansell is suspending its supplier relationship with the company.

Ansell will continue to engage with Mediceram on the conditions necessary for Ansell to consider reinstating the supplier relationship. These include Mediceram completing all outstanding matters in the remediation program swiftly and structurally and demonstrating a sustained commitment to safeguarding worker welfare, and ensuring all workers, particularly those terminated and awaiting repatriation, have sufficient financial support to cover living costs.

We recognise that this situation has raised concerns, and we are aware of conflicting statements regarding representation of workers’ interests that may be influencing the dialogue between Mediceram workers and management. Ansell will not engage in speculation or commentary on matters beyond our direct involvement. Our priority remains supporting constructive conversations, ensuring fair treatment, and working toward a positive resolution of outstanding issues.

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Associated Press World News 10th Nov 2025: Bangladeshi workers protest over unpaid wages and mistreatment claims in Malaysian global supply chain factories (today’s Dhaka human chain protest summaries)

WORLD NEWS

BY  JULHAS ALAM

November 10, 2025

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — About 100 Bangladeshi workers who were employed by Malaysian companies rallied Monday to demand unpaid wages, fair compensation and an end to alleged abuse by Malaysian employers.

The Migrant Welfare Network, a Bangladeshi migrant group based in Malaysia and Bangladesh, organized the protest at the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka.

The Associated Press could not immediately reach the companies for comment.

The demonstrators said the event was organized to protest what they say is widespread mistreatment of migrant workers in Malaysia, one of Southeast Asia’s richest nations. They demanded unpaid wage support and compensation for 431 Bangladeshi workers they said were exploited by two Malaysian companies, Mediceram and Kawaguchi Manufacturing.

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The exploitation of migrant workers: Mediceram and Kawaguchi – a case of insufficient enforcement?

By K. Veeriah

“About 100 Bangladesh workers who were employed by Malaysian companies rallied Monday to demand unpaid wages, for fair compensation and an end to alleged abuse by Malaysian employers” — Associated Press World News, Nov 10, 2025

See also Daily Star 11th Nov 2025: Deported workers call for justice

PRESS RELEASE MWN EN 10th NovDownload

Press Release MWN (Bangladeshi version) 10th NovDownload

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Many factories in Malaysia and other Southeast Asia countries rely on migrant workers, often from Bangladesh, Myanmar and Nepal, to fill labor-intensive jobs in manufacturing, plantations or construction. Local workers usually avoid such jobs because of their poor conditions and low wages.

The Migrant Welfare Network urged Bangladeshi and Malaysian authorities and international buyers to take immediate action to ensure workers receive wages already owed, fair compensation and “justice for systemic abuses.”

The group said in statement Monday that a complaint claiming forced labor and neglect has been filed with the Malaysian government against Australian company Ansell, a major customer of Mediceram, which manufactures gloves for medical, industrial and domestic use.

A separate complaint was filed against Kawaguchi, which supplied plastic components to large Japanese companies, including Sony Group.

In May, around 280 Bangladeshi migrant workers for Kawaguchi demanded hundreds of thousands of dollars in back wages and other money owed to them after the company closed five months earlier.

Workers at Kawaguchi’s factory in Port Klang filed complaints in Malaysia and Bangladesh claiming the company withheld their wages for up to eight months before closing after Sony and Panasonic Holdings Corp., two of Kawaguchi’s main customers, halted orders in response to allegations the workers were mistreated.

“In the beginning, they used to pay the salary in parts, meaning they would give 500–1000 ringgit (about $120-$240) per month as food expenses,” said former Kawaguchi employee Omar Faruk, who began working for the manufacturer in 2022. “After withholding the salary, the company started considering shutting down. Later, we filed a complaint at the Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia.”

Harun Or Rasid Liton, who worked at Mediceram, accused the company of not paying despite an order by the Malaysian Labor Court.

“The court ruled that the company would pay us 1,000 ringgit per month, but the company paid only the first installment and then stopped paying,” he said. “Later, we had no choice but to return to Bangladesh. Now we are facing severe hardship in maintaining our families.”

There have been widespread reports of abuse of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia and disputes between employees and companies have become a diplomatic sore point between Bangladesh and Malaysia. Workers’ rights groups have demanded stringent scrutiny on the powerful group of recruitment agencies and middlemen who monopolize such jobs.

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Photos and videos from 10th Nov innovative and impressive human chain event in Dhaka – youth power against injustice, corruption and exploitation https://www.facebook.com/share/v/16k3YYDWaz/?mibextid=wwXIfr

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PRESS RELEASE 10th November, 2025 Bangladeshi Migrant Workers Demand Justice Over Exploitation in Malaysia 

Today, the Migrant Welfare Network (MWN)—a Bangladeshi migrant network based in Malaysia and Bangladesh— organised a human chain and press conference in front of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment.

The event aimed to demand urgent support for 431 Bangladeshi workers exploited by two Malaysian companies, Mediceram Sdn. Bhd. and Kawaguchi Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd., and to draw attention to the widespread mistreatment of migrant workers in Malaysia.

MWN calls on Bangladeshi and Malaysian authorities, as well as international buyers, to take immediate action to ensure workers receive all owed wages, fair compensation, and justice for systemic abuses. We also urge the media, activists, rights community, and other relevant stakeholders to give this matter immediate attention. The Bangladeshi High Commission in Malaysia and the Expatriates Ministry in Dhaka have failed to protect victims of modern slavery, instead creating an environment of retaliation following their involvement.

Brief overview of the cases:

1. Mediceram Sdn. Bhd.: Workers suffered for years from late wages, threats, bullying, and poor living conditions. When their passports were taken, they became isolated. Without work permit renewals, many have become illegal. This is forced labour and modern slavery. The company did refund recruitment fees after several strikes and external pressures, but in 1st week of November 2025, 15 workers were forced to return home because they demanded permit renewals and repayment for former workers. Worker leaders elected by workers were deported in clear retaliation, with one escaping by fleeing. An OECD complaint has been filed against the Australian company Ansell, a major buyer from Mediceram, about forced labour and neglect. Conditions of the Bangladeshi workers at Mediceram are getting worse.
2. Kawaguchi Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd.: This company was a major supplier for global brands such as Sony, Panasonic, and Daikin. Workers paid high recruitment fees and experienced wage payment irregularities starting in 2022, with their salaries going entirely unpaid for seven months as of September 2024. After facing months of hardship and strikes, 308 Bangladeshi workers were reimbursed by the above-mentioned buyers for recruitment fees and compensation for their hardship. However, their unpaid wages remained outstanding even after the Malaysian authority (JTK) issued a consent order following a settlement meeting between the workers, JTK, and Kawaguchi management on 24th December 2024. The Taiwanese owner of Kawaguchi still owes 3 million RM to 251 migrant workers, yet the company was officially closed without settling this debt, highlighting a significant failure of the Malaysian system.

Demands: 1. Immediate compensation for Mediceram workers who were forcibly deported for demanding work permit renewal and recruitment fee reimbursement for their colleagues. 2. Stop forced deportations immediately and assist with transferring from Mediceram to a responsible employer through the legal process. 2 3. Immediate ban on Mediceram and its owner, Mr Arumugam Suppiah Datu and his companies from hiring any more Bangladeshi workers in future. 4. Ensure that all former Kawaguchi workers receive their pending wages in accordance with the JTK consent order, and that former Mediceram workers are reimbursed for their recruitment fees. 5. We call for a reformation of the performance of the Bangladeshi High Commission, KL, in line with the genuine needs of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia, who are suffering in large numbers. 6. We call for comprehensive reform of Bangladesh’s recruitment and migration system so that safeguarding migrant workers’ rights becomes the central focus, rather than prioritising remittance generation. 7. We call for complete transparency and systemic support from international buyers to ensure the protection of migrant workers’ rights.

The Migrant Welfare Network (MWN) highlights and emphasises that “these workers have built Malaysia’s industries and supported Bangladesh’s economy through their remittances. They deserve justice—not deportation, debt, or threat.”

Nironjan, a Mediceram Workers Committee member recently deported, said: “We requested our rights as humans but were treated as second-class humans, even as animals. Our demands for salaries and recruitment fee refunds led to harassment. When we asked for legal status and reimbursement for friends, we were threatened and forced onto flights. Speaking up results in deportation, and after mass dismissals, we’re barred from seeking new employment. We have decided to keep appealing to authorities, media, activists and the public for justice.”

Omar Faruq, a former Kawaguchi worker forced to leave Malaysia due to the uncertain RTK system, said: “We suffered passport confiscation and unpaid salaries for over seven months, leaving us hungry and desperate. Our appeals to authorities brought no help. Our wages still remain unpaid as the company closed without settlement. Thousands of migrant workers face similar hardship in Malaysia. Complete reform is needed.”

Media References: ABC News (Australia): “Australian glove-maker Ansell accused of exploiting workers” (Sept 2025). Click for news link The Daily Star (Bangladesh): “Dream turns into despair for deported Mediceram workers” (6 Nov 2025). Click for news link AP News: “Migrant workers from Kawaguchi seek unpaid wages, partial repayments arranged” (May 2025). Click for news link

Contact: Migrant Welfare Network (MWN): mw.org2025@gmail.comor +8801622125270 Nironjan, Mediceram Workers Representative: +880 1938962947Omar Faruq, Kawaguchi Workers Representative: +880 1620785039 Thank you for your attention and participation!

Full post at https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CwJHdN6k8/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Past Mediceram Stories 

Daily Star 17th Nov 2025: Bangladeshi workers (alleged forced labour victims) file police reports against Malaysia’s Mediceram glove company (Ansell’s global supply chain)

Daily Star 15th Nov 2025: Bangladeshi High Commission to Mediceram – ‘Reinstate 170 workers’ in Ansell global gloves supply chain alleged forced labour case in Malaysia 

Daily Star 14th Nov 2025: Ansell cuts ties with Malaysian Mediceram firm

Daily Star 8th Nov 2025:152 Bangladeshi workers at Mediceram in Malaysia (Ansell gloves global supply chain) protest forced repatriation, appoint legal counsel 

Daily Star 6th Nov 2025: Dream turns into despair for 10 deported Bangladeshi migrants from Mediceram in Malaysia (Ansell/YTY gloves supply chain factory)

Daily Star 5th Nov 2025: Malaysia’s Mediceram, in Ansell’s global gloves supply chain, forcibly and involuntarily sends back 10 Bangladeshis

Daily Star 4th Nov 2025: MEDICERAM IN MALAYSIA – 190 Bangladeshis in Ansell global gloves supply chain fired for protesting exploitation

Statement for Immediate Release 3rd Nov 2025: Around 190 Bangladeshi Migrant Workers at Mediceram Dismissed for Demanding Fair and Dignified Working Conditions

PSM statement 3rd Nov 2025: 180 Migrant Workers laid off simply for demanding fair employment rights and safe environment

31st Oct 2025: Malaysia’s Mediceram, Supplier to Global Gloves Industry including Ansell, YTY and Top Glove, Allegedly Terminates All 180 Bangladeshi Foreign Workers, Alleged Victims of Forced Labour, and Moves to Force Repatriation to Bangladesh

YTY/Mediceram statement 9th Sept 2025: Former Supplier Update

2nd July 2025 FMT: Workers at glove mould producer Mediceram back at work after successful talks

FMT 25th May 2025: Malaysian mould manufacturer Mediceram sets up task force to resolve worker grievances following Bangladeshi migrant workers successful strike to address alleged forced labour conditions

FMT 19th May 2025: Malaysia’s Mediceram Glove Factory (supplying brands and buyers like Ansell, YTY, Top Glove) threatened to deport 60 Bangladeshi migrants amid strike, says activist

Daily Star 18th May 2025 – Bangladeshi Migrant Worker at Mediceram Sdn Bhd Glove Company in Malaysia (supplying Ansell, YTY, Top Glove and other local and global gloves brands) faces deportation after speaking up on modern slavery and forced labour allegations

FMT 15th May 2025: Bangladeshi foreign workers in alleged situation of forced labour threaten to go on strike again at mould-making plant Mediceram

Daily Star 15th May 2025: Migration – ‘Contact me if you face any trouble’ – Asif Nazrul tells Mediceram migrant workers in Malaysia

FMT 28th Mar 2025: Glove maker YTY says Malaysian ceramic mould supplier Mediceram may be involved in forced labour practices

28th Mar 2025: YTY Gloves Group Statement on Mediceram (Malaysian Ceramics Glove Former Supplier) Forced Labour Allegations 

FMT 8th Mar 2025: Workers at glove mould-making plant in Malaysia, supplying leading domestic and international gloves companies, not paid for 3 months, claims activist (another alleged Malaysian modern slavery related case)

Past Related Malaysian Gloves and Modern Slavery Related Stories 

26th Sept 2024: Former Malaysian gloves plant workers sue Kimberly-Clark. They allege abuse at company’s supplier Brightway

20th Sep 2023: CBP modifies withhold release order against Supermax Corporation Bhd. and its subsidiaries

26th Feb 2023: Malaysian glovemakers must show ‘no forced labour’ to sell to UK’s National Health Service.

August 18 2022: Migrant workers at Malaysian glove maker Brightway Holdings file US lawsuit against Kimberly-Clark Corp & Ansell, accusing them of “knowingly profiting” from alleged use of forced labour

August 12 2022: Full case submission now available online for the former Brightway Gloves (Malaysia) Bangladeshi workers US court case claims related to forced labour against Ansell and Kimberly Clark Corporation (KCC)

10th August 2022 Reuters: Ex-workers at Malaysian supplier sue Kimberly-Clark, Ansell over alleged labour abuse

10th August 2022: Ansell and Kimberly-Clark Sued in US Federal Court by Trafficking and Forced Labor Victims from Malaysian Glove Company

16th June 2022: My comment on Norway wealth fund putting Malaysia’s Supermax Corp under observation.

The Diplomat, April 4, 2022 – After Pressure, Growing Transparency in Malaysia’s Glove Industry

8th Feb 2022: Malaysia’s scandal-hit Supermax pays $6 million in compensation to migrant workers.

28th Dec 2021 Reuters: Ansell halts orders from Malaysian glove maker Brightway after US ban 

The Sydney Morning Herald, December 21, 2021 – Gloves off: Ansell under fire over “modern slavery” at Malaysian supplier 

20th Dec 2021 Reuters: U.S. Customs bans fifth Malaysian glove maker Brightway over alleged forced labour

14th September 2021 – The Diplomat: Debt Bondage Payouts Flow to Workers in Malaysia’s Glove Industry 

Reuters, September 10, 2021 – U.S. lifts import ban on Malaysia’s Top Glove over forced labour concerns

VOA, July 7, 2021 – Forced Labor Rising in Malaysia’s Rubber Glove Factories, Study Shows

Reuters, May 29, 2021: U.S. probes two Malaysian glove makers over forced labour allegations – report Reuters

20th May 2021 Reuters Insight: ‘Slavery’ found at a Malaysian glove factory. Why didn’t the auditor see it?

The Guardian, March 30, 2021 – US bars rubber gloves from Malaysian from due to ‘evidence of forced labour’

CNN, March 30, 2021 – US will seize all Top Glove imports after finding ‘sufficient evidence’ of forced labour

Reuters, March 30, 2021 – U.S. Customs says forced labour used at Malaysia’s Top Glove, to seize gloves

28th Dec 2020 Malay Mail: Human Resources Ministry – Brightway Holdings, two subsidiaries to face 30 charges over workers accommodation

21st Dec 2020: Malaysia: Hundreds of migrant workers subject to “squalid” onsite living conditions at glove manufacturers owned by Brightway Holdings; Incl. buyer responses

VOA, November 19, 2020 – After US Sanctions, Malaysia Migrant Workers Get Millions in Restitution from Glove Makers

CNN, September 11, 2020 – The world’s top suppliers of disposable gloves are thriving because of the pandemic. Their workers aren’t

VOA, July 17, 2020 – US Bars Imports from Top Rubber Glove Maker Amid COVID Surge

Newsroom, July 28, 2020 – Are your disposable gloves made using forced labour?

Reuters, July 16, 2020 – Amid virus crisis, U.S. bars imports of Malaysia’s Top Glove over labour issues

Associated Press (AP), March 4, 2020 – Key medical glove factories cutting staff 50% amid virus

VOA, October 11, 2019 – US Ban on Malaysian Glove Maker Highlights ‘Systemic’ Labor Abuse

—

Why Human Rights Matter to Business?

Risky Business with Darian McBain: Asia

15th January 2024

Why Human Rights Matter to Business with Darian McBain – Interview with Andy Hall – Migrant Worker Rights Specialist

Asian business is changing. Customer demands, government regulations, stakeholder expectations, they are all evolving under the pressure of the environmental crisis. And even the most robust business models are starting to show cracks. But it’s through those cracks that opportunities arrive.

Do you know how to navigate this new normal?

Andy Hall is a human rights defender, a researcher/investigator and activist, and an independent specialist on migrant worker rights.

In this episode of Risky Business, Andy talks about how he uncovered – and helped to tackle – the problem of labour rights abuses in Malaysia’s latex glove industry.

Click HERE to listen 

The post ABC 17th Feb 2026: Australian Anti-slavery commissioner calls for tougher laws amid forced labour concerns for Ansell (MediCeram, Malaysia) and KMart appeared first on Andy Hall.

23rd Jan 2026 Bloomberg World Exclusive on Alleged Criminal Syndicate Trafficking Bangladeshi Workers for Forced Labour in Malaysia | The Big Take: EVERYONE GETS A CUT, AND MIGRANT WORKERS PAY THE PRICE

Endemic corruption in the Bangladesh-Malaysia migrant worker system is enriching some, while trapping the hopeful in a punishing economy of exploitation.

By Anders Melin and Niki Koswanage

Illustrations by Joanna Blemont

23 January 2026 at 13:00 GMT+8

Sourced from: https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2026-bangladesh-malaysia-migrants/?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc2OTE0NDc2MywiZXhwIjoxNzY5NzQ5NTYzLCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUOUFXS1hLR0lGUUMwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJDNEU1MzEzOEREMDU0MTM4ODA5NzA3RjYwNjlCQUM2RCJ9.g5KNFzxj-hwn18FmfsRt9NLu45erjj9tKDxlvmyA8r4&embedded-checkout=true

The migrant worker — indebted, jobless and stranded in a foreign country — tried to keep it together as he picked up the phone to call his wife.

His name was Shofiqul Islam. He’d borrowed to pay $4,400 for a construction job that he’d been promised in Malaysia — an astronomical sum for a Bangladeshi farmhand. He’d gambled everything on leaving home to build a future for his two young children.

A representative for his employer had picked him up at the airport and he was eventually dropped at a run-down building outside Kuala Lumpur. Three flights up, past a rusty metal gate, was a room with a stack of worn mattresses, a gas stove, two hole-in-the-floor toilets and a hose for a shower. Wait here, the representative said. Then he disappeared.

After 147 days, the job still hadn’t materialized. Shofiqul’s employer had gone silent. His visa had expired. And with each passing day, the interest on his debt ticked up. In the sparse dormitory that morning in February 2024, Shofiqul agonized over his situation.

But once his wife and six-year-old daughter emerged on the screen he smiled, hiding his true feelings. They spoke for an hour. He asked his daughter about the dragon fruit trees he’d planted near their home. Were they growing? Had white flowers sprung from them yet? And he consoled his wife: He’d heard the wait was almost over.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “The job will come very soon.”

Shofiqul was one of more than 800,000 Bangladeshi workers who went to Malaysia over the past decade, often going into debt to pay recruitment fees far higher than people from other countries, sometimes on the promise of jobs that never existed. 

Interviews with more than 100 people, including current and former government officials, labor analysts, recruitment agents and Bangladeshi migrants, describe a recruitment process shaped by entrenched corruption and designed to extract as much money as possible from desperate workers, often leading to debt bondage, forced labor and human trafficking.

More than a dozen of those interviewed suggest that figures in Malaysia’s ruling elite, including at the highest levels of government, are aware of the issues but don’t attempt to fix them because the recruitment fees line the pockets of everyone involved.

Most asked not to be identified discussing sensitive matters, with some citing fear of retribution.

A representative for the office of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahimreferred Bloomberg to the Ministry of Home Affairs, which didn’t respond to repeated requests for comment. Bangladesh’s government didn’t respond to requests for comment. Migrants the world over borrow to pay recruitment fees. They’re at risk wherever they go. But Malaysia’s recruitment from Bangladesh is one of the more extreme examples of private business people and government officials combining to squeeze workers, Bloomberg’s reporting suggests.

It also has a unique backstory that shows how money and power intertwine in Malaysia.

For full story click here

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(UPDATED BLOOMBERG STORY) Edge 16th Apr 2026: Malaysia mulls adopting Bestinet’s new migrant worker system, Bloomberg reports

Original written by Anders Melin & Niluksi Koswanage sourced at Bloomberg  

Published on Thu, Apr 16, 2026 by The Edge at https://www.theedgesingapore.com/amp/news/malaysia/malaysia-mulls-adopting-bestinets-new-migrant-worker-system-bloomberg-reports

(April 16): Malaysia is planning to adopt a new foreign worker recruitment system developed by Bestinet Sdn Bhd, the company founded by labour tycoon Datuk Seri Aminul Islam Abdul Nor, according to six people familiar with the matter.

The software is being marketed as allowing companies to hire workers directly, rather than using middlemen who charge them excessive fees, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private. Called The Universal Recruitment Advanced Platform, or TURAP, it will have a digital portal where employers can sign up and find employees, the people said.

Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Ramanan Ramakrishnan mentioned the new system in an interview with The Star newspaper in early February but didn’t say Bestinet would be operating it.

Bloomberg News published an investigation in January into endemic corruption in Malaysia’s recruitment of migrant workers from Bangladesh. The article mentioned the roles played in the recruitment process by Aminul, who’s better known as Amin, and Bestinet.

Lui & Bhullar, a law firm representing Amin, said he declined to comment. Amin has denied that he has contributed to migrant workers being charged high recruitment fees and said he has devoted his life to helping them.

Representatives of Ramanan, the Prime Minister’s Office and Bestinet didn’t respond to requests for comments.

Bestinet already operates a software system called the Foreign Workers Centralized Management System, or FWCMS, which Malaysia uses to manage parts of its recruitment, especially from Bangladesh. That system consists of various modules, such as worker health checks and insurance, and also involves recruitment agents.

In an interview with Bloomberg in July last year, Amin likened the system to a highway and said he is not responsible for the people who use it, referring to officials who approve bogus applications or agents who overcharge workers.

In 2024, Bangladesh’s police asked Malaysia to stop using the FWCMS and for Amin to be extradited, alleging he played a key role in a system that “fraudulently extorted” workers. Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said in October that Malaysia’s police are in touch with their Bangladeshi counterparts. Amin hasn’t been extradited or charged.

Ramanan told The Star that Malaysia hopes to adopt the system by the middle of this year. The process is still at an early stage, the people familiar with the matter said, adding it needs to be agreed with the Home Ministry and then approved by the Cabinet.

Ramanan became the human resources minister in a reshuffle in December. The previous minister, Steven Sim Chee Keong, had questioned the proposal, because of concerns including handing more power to Amin and Bestinet, three of the people said.

Representatives of Sim also didn’t respond to questions about the matter.

Several current or former government officials have expressed reservations about using Bestinet’s system, three of the people said. They are also reluctant to give Amin a lucrative contract and even more influence over Malaysia’s recruitment of foreign workers, they added.

Under Amin’s proposal, Bestinet would receive a 12-year contract allowing it to charge companies US$1,000 ($1,270.25) per foreign-worker application, plus a per-worker fee of one month’s salary, three of the people said. Malaysia had 2.1 million registered low-skilled foreign workers as of August, government data showed. The details are still being discussed and may change, the people said.

Three officials briefed on the matter say middlemen might continue to play a role in the countries Malaysia recruits from because it’s difficult for Malaysia to control what happens there.

Some officials also pointed out that direct recruitment might be difficult for big companies looking to bring in thousands of workers, and expressed concern that eliminating licensed recruitment agents could result in more of the recruitment business moving underground, making it harder to control.

In the interview with Bloomberg in July last year, Amin spoke about a new direct-recruitment system that Bestinet was developing, saying it would cut out agents and reduce recruitment costs.

He showed a presentation of the new system, which said it would make Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim a contender for the 2027 Nobel Peace Prize. Amin declined to say whether Anwar had seen it but said that “this is the proposal that we have done”.

“Our target, within 36 months from now, is the Nobel Prize,” Amin said. “This is our target. And we will get it.”

Uploaded by Tham Yek Lee

-—

Response articles

26th Feb Malaysiakini: Center for Independent Journalism (CIJ) slams Bestinet’s billion-ringgit lawsuit, urges safeguards

Malaysiakini 25th Feb 2026: Bestinet and Amin files billion-ringgit lawsuit against Malaysiakini, Bloomberg and others over media articles outlining alleged criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshi migrant workers for forced labour in Malaysia

23rd Feb NST: High Court rejects Bestinet, Aminul’s bid for gag order on migrant worker exposé

4th Feb Malaysiakini: Rafizi – Govt has no access to Bestinet’s source code

28th Jan Malaysiakini: ‘Warlord-run corrupt nation’ – Latheefa fumes over Bestinet article, govt silence

26th Jan MalaysiaNow: Damning Bloomberg report implicates Putrajaya in giving second life to Bangladeshi-owned firm accused of human trafficking

25th Jan Daily Star: Why have we failed to end migrant workers’ abuse? A sinister nexus has been allowed to thrive

24th Jan FMT: Launch probe into alleged trafficking of Bangladeshi workers, govt told

24th Jan Malaysiakini: LETTER | No more silence – Call for criminal accountability

23rd Jan Daily Star: Bangladesh-Malaysia labour route rife with corruption – Bloomberg report

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Malaysiakini 25th Feb 2026: Bestinet and Amin files billion-ringgit lawsuit against Malaysiakini, Bloomberg and others over media articles outlining alleged criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshi migrant workers for forced labour in Malaysia

Sourced from: https://m.malaysiakini.com/news/768839?login_method=google#

Bestinet Sdn Bhd and its founder, Aminul Islam Abdul Nor, are suing 10 media outlets and individuals, including Malaysiakini, with over RM1 billion being sought as damages.

This is over Bloomberg’s report titled “Everyone gets a cut, and migrant workers pay the price”, published on Jan 23, and subsequent reports repeating its claims and commenting on the issue.

In their statement of claim, Bestinet and Aminul claimed that the impugned statements, among others, portrayed them as being involved in human trafficking, money laundering, corrupt practices, deliberately denying the government access to the Foreign Worker Centralised Management System (FWCMS), and had enriched themselves at the expense of vulnerable migrants.

“The impugned statements are defamatory, false, untrue, inconsistent, baseless, published with malice, misleading, and a complete fabrication,” Aminul said in his affidavit, according to filings made at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur on Feb 12 and served to Malaysiakini today.

Malaysiakini is named as the fifth defendant in the suit, while Bloomberg’s New York office and Kuala Lumpur office are respectively named as first and second defendants.

Other defendants are The Edge Communications Sdn Bhd (publisher of The Edge), MNow Media Sdn Bhd (publisher of MalaysiaNow), Norhafizan Muhamad and Nur Azwan Nusi (as owners of a partnership that operates Harapan Daily), former MACC chief commissioner Latheefa Koya, former economy minister Rafizi Ramli, and content creator Iswardy Morni, who runs the YouTube channel “YB Youtube Channel”.

The plaintiffs sought RM500 million in special damages from each of the two Bloomberg entities, and RM5 million from each of the other eight defendants.

They also sought general, aggravated, and exemplary damages assessed by the court, a five percent per annum interest on all damages, a written apology, and retraction of the offending articles.

In addition, the plaintiffs sought an ex parte injunction against the defendants to prevent them from further disseminating the allegedly defamatory statements, pending the conclusion of the suit, arguing that the statements would likely be repeated unless the defendants are restrained and would further damage their reputation.

“Although damages are claimed by the plaintiffs in the statement of claim, the plaintiffs genuinely believe that damages alone are not sufficient and/or appropriate remedy as this matter concerns the plaintiffs’ reputation and good name, which are incapable of being restored, and if the injunction sought in the notice of application is not granted, any damage suffered by the plaintiffs would be irreparable.

“The defamation has seriously injured and prejudiced the long-standing 18-year goodwill and reputation built by the first plaintiff (Bestinet) in the field of IT and manpower consultation, and the long-standing 38-year goodwill and reputation built by me in managing service-oriented business as well as a responsible citizen of Malaysia,” Aminul wrote in his affidavit.

Judge rejects gag order bid

However, the application for an injunction was rejected by High Court Judge Roslan Mat Nor without orders as to cost.

In his written judgment dated last Friday, the judge wrote that the allegedly defamatory statements pertain to a matter of public interest, namely the recruitment of migrant workers to Malaysia.

Kuala Lumpur High Court
“If an interim injunction is granted, it would prevent the defendants from voicing opinions on such public interest matters. This court is of the view that it directly threatens the defendants’ freedom of speech,” he said, while affirming that the freedom is still subject to legal provisions.

The judge also disagreed with the plaintiffs’ arguments that any of the defendants’ possible answers and defences to the lawsuit are without merit, pointing to the possibility that the defendants could argue that their statements were justified or were fair comment.

In addition, the judge said the plaintiffs failed to sufficiently demonstrate that rejecting the application would lead to immediate and specific harms to the plaintiffs, such as losing business opportunities.

“Since there are no such testimonies, it is difficult for the court to say that the defendants’ public statements have caused harm to the plaintiffs and an interim injunction should be granted immediately through this ex parte application,” he said.

Spotlight on migrant recruitment fees
The Bloomberg article was centred around the plight of Bangladeshi migrants who had to borrow a hefty amount of money so they could pay an alleged “syndicate fee” to work in Malaysia. It attributed this to the FWCMS created by Bestinet and adopted by Malaysia in 2015.

Following the report, Latheefa criticised the government on X for keeping mum about the report and questioned its commitment to fighting corruption.

Former MACC chief commissioner Latheefa Koya
Rafizi, meanwhile, said in his weekly podcast that the Bloomberg report is damning, and urged the implementation of proper procedures in the digital recruitment system to prevent further exploitation of migrant workers.

Citing findings by a 2023 government audit report, he said the government is essentially locked out of the FWCMS system while access was given to non-government operators.

—

For Immediate Release 24 January 2026 – No More Silence: A Call for Criminal Accountability Concerning Alleged Criminal Syndicate Trafficking Bangladeshi Migrant Workers for Forced Labour in Malaysia (Charles Santiago’s Response to Bloomberg Exclusive Story)

They came seeking work. They found debt, deception, and fear. For thousands of Bangladeshi migrant workers in Malaysia, migration has not meant opportunity. It has been entrapment. What they are living through is not mismanagement. It is a system of exploitation that has been allowed to grow because no one has been held accountable.

When exploitation becomes organised, when recruitment becomes coercion, and when vulnerability becomes profit, the issue is no longer policy. It is criminal.

The conditions faced by Bangladeshi migrant workers in Malaysia meet the legal thresholds of trafficking, forced labour, and structural exploitation. This is not a failure of paperwork. It is a failure of justice.

I therefore call on the Government of Malaysia to immediately initiate:

1. Independent Criminal Investigations

An independent criminal investigation, led by Mohd Hishamudin Md Yunus, Chair of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM), into all aspects of the exploitation of Bangladeshi migrant workers:
•Syndicate-controlled recruitment networks and corrupt brokers
•Recruitment agencies and intermediaries charging excessive fees
•Employers and companies implicated in forced labour conditions
•Any public officials or enforcers whose actions or inaction have facilitated exploitation

2. Full Transparency and Public Reporting

These investigations must be transparent, publicly reported, and involve civil society and worker representatives in oversight roles.

Findings should be released in full, and prosecutions should follow where credible evidence of wrongdoing exists.

3. Protection and Remedies for Affected Workers

We must ensure that:
•Workers are protected from retaliation, detention, or deportation when reporting abuses.
•Victims can access legal aid, medical support, psychosocial services, and compensation mechanisms.
•Temporary legal status is provided to workers who cooperate with investigations.

• Establish a compensation fund for affected workers, funded by fines and seized assets.

1. Reform of Exploitative Recruitment Systems

We must dismantle exploitative recruitment models by:
•introducing an employer pay principle zero to replace all worker-paid recruitment fees and debt-bondage structures
•Banning syndicate-controlled recruitment pathways
•Establishing transparent, state-regulated systems with enforceable protections

• replace existing MOUs with Binding Labour Agreements.

1. Strengthened Labour Rights Enforcement

Workers must have access to:
•Independent complaint mechanisms with interpreter support
•Regular, unannounced inspections of workplaces
•Legal remedies for wage theft, passport confiscation, and contract violations

6. Bilateral and International Accountability

The Government of Malaysia should work with Bangladesh and international human rights bodies to establish an independent oversight, enforce international labour standards, and ensure that bilateral labour agreements are rights-centred, not profit-driven.

This is not a peripheral issue. It is a human rights scandal that demands criminal accountability, systematic reform, and justice for those harmed.

Silence is complicity. Delay is denial. And this moment certainly demands more than statements. It demands that the Malaysian Government, law enforcement, SUHAKAM, international human rights bodies, and civil society act decisively, independently, and in full public view.

Charles Santiago

—

See also Wong Chen MP response https://www.facebook.com/share/1CGHqjaniz/?mibextid=wwXIfr

On a completely separate issue but related to human rights, there is a critical and serious Bloomberg article on Bangladeshi migrant workers being exploited in Malaysia; this is reported as a systemic policy failure related to corruption.

As this is a most serious issue, and as per the advice of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to Parlimen Malaysia to fight corruption, I will be directing my office to focus on it and do the following; (a) contacting the Bangladesh High Commission for a deeper dialogue; and (b) call for a select committee hearing under the matter of foreign relations and international labour rights.

When I was in Dhaka, late last year, matters related to Bangladeshi migrant workers were raised and discussed by both the Foreign Minister Mohammad Touhid Hossain and also the Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus.

Lateefa Koya (former MACC commissioner) statement: https://x.com/latheefakoya/status/2015254870442606781?s=46&t=_XQMnLR6Zf7gdwp4T1EXcQ

‘Warlord-run corrupt nation’: Latheefa fumes over Bestinet article, govt silence

Published Malaysiakini:  Jan 28, 2026 4:38 PM

Former MACC chief Latheefa Koya has raised doubts on Putrajaya’s commitment to fighting systemic corruption in the country.

This followed a recent extensive report by Bloomberg about the ugly side of Bestinet – a Bangladesh migrant recruitment system that Malaysia adopted in 2015 and continued by the Anwar Ibrahim-led government in 2024 despite criticisms.

Taking to X, Latheefa (above) questioned the government for keeping silent about the Jan 23 article, which contained damning allegations against Malaysia and government officials.

“Where are all the big boasts about fighting corruption, cartels etc? It is a sickening, nauseating tale of the exploitation of desperate migrant workers, while political and business elites reap the benefits and profits.

“We now sound like one of those warlord-run, corrupt African states we often read about. Don’t even bother denying, we know it’s true – the migrant recruitment abuse in Malaysia has been known for a long time, and it damns us as a nation.

“But arising from this new expose, the big question is – why did the cabinet under Anwar renew Bestinet in 2024?

“And why has the Madani government closed its eyes to the loathsome trade in human beings that is the Bangladesh migrant recruitment system in Malaysia?” she asked. 

Titled “Everyone Gets A Cut, And Migrant Workers Pay The Price”, the article centred around the plight of Bangladeshi migrants who had to borrow a hefty amount of money so they could pay an alleged “syndicate fee” to work in Malaysia.

While migrant workers all over the world are facing the same problem of having to borrow money to get work, the article noted that Bangladeshis had to pay more than double compared to others after Putrajaya adopted a system introduced by Bestinet, which was founded by Aminul Islam, a Bangladeshi who has been naturalised as Malaysian.

Putrajaya’s adoption of the system in 2015 also came with another arrangement that forced Bangladesh to route its workers through only 10 out of the country’s over 1,000 agencies.

‘Syndicate fee’

According to Bloomberg, Amin and Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who was then-home minister, had allegedly played key roles in this, but pointed out that Zahid had denied any involvement with Bestinet in 2018. 

READ MORE: Who is Bestinet founder Aminul?

Back then, the system allegedly saw the 10 agencies unlawfully charging an additional fee called the “syndicate fee” on each migrant worker who wished to enter Malaysia.

Along with several other charges, the costs could skyrocket to as high as USD6,600 (RM25,000), which the International Labour Organisation described as more than twice what Bangladeshis paid before Bestinet got involved.

Aminul Islam

Bloomberg said more than a dozen of those it interviewed suggest that “figures in Malaysia’s ruling elite, including at the highest levels of government, are aware of the issues but don’t attempt to fix them because the recruitment fees line the pockets of everyone involved”.

For the record, Bestinet has long been dogged by controversy, starting from 2015, when the Foreign Worker Central Management System (FWCMS) it provided to the government was suspended from use amid claims that it won the deal through political connections, ostensibly from former home minister Azmi Khalid.

In a response at the time, Azmi said the deal was not signed yet and that it was only in the proof-of-concept stage.

Despite the initial suspension, the system was later reinstated and used by government agencies to process the hundreds of thousands of migrant workers entering Malaysia every year.

No formal contract

However, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and Auditor-General’s Department found there was never a formal contractbetween the government and Bestinet, which collected RM100 from each worker for the service.

PAC also found that the cabinet, in August 2015, agreed to put the FWCMS on trial mode, together with another system provided by another provider, called ePPAx.

ePPAx was built by Syarikat Ivy Matrix Sdn Bhd, which won a RM20 million Human Resources Ministry project through an open tender.

PAC found both the FWCMS and ePPAx served the same purpose of “processing (migrant workers) from the application stage to the end of employment and return to their sending country”.

Despite ePPAx’s development, the Home Ministry decided to use FWCMS instead. In 2018, the government issued an approval letter to Bestinet to develop, supply, provide, and maintain FWCMS for six years from April 1, 2018, to May 31, 2024.

On Dec 22, 2021, the Ismail Sabri Yaakob-led government agreed to use FWCMS exclusively but no formal contract was drawn up. Hamzah Zainudin was the home minister at the time.

Hamzah Zainudin

“This means that the government/Home Ministry has used the FWCMS system for approximately six years without a finalised contract, clearly violating the regulations set by the government,” PAC said in a statement.

PAC also flagged other issues, including system vulnerabilities to hacking and potential fraud in migrant worker management.

Despite these issues, in June 2024, the cabinet agreed to extend Bestinet’s contractfor another three years, but with improvements in governance.

—

United Nations (UN) NEWS RELEASE 21 Nov 2025 – Malaysia: UN experts sound alarm over continued systematic exploitation of Bangladeshi migrant workers in Malaysia (alleged criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshi workers for forced labour in Malaysia)

Sourced from: https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/11/malaysia-un-experts-sound-alarm-over-continued-systematic-exploitation

GENEVA (21 November 2025) – UN human rights experts* today expressed renewed concern about the continued exploitation, deception, and deepening debt bondage of Bangladeshi migrant workers in Malaysia.
 
“We are deeply troubled that fraudulent recruitment and the exploitation of migrants remain widespread and systematic in Malaysia,” the experts said. “These practices continue to cause significant human rights harms to affected workers and their families.”
 
The experts noted that, according to information received, thousands of workers recruited through the Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services (BOES) remain stranded in Bangladesh or face exploitation risks in Malaysia after paying recruitment fees reportedly exceeding the official fees by more than five times. Allegations also include  confiscation of passports by employers, false job promises, discrepancies between contracts and promised employment packages, the publication of workers’ passport numbers and other personal information without their consent, and the lack of access to support from responsible government agencies.
 
“Some migrants have reportedly been asked to make additional payments, while others have been reassigned to jobs without their consent. We have also been informed that a small number of recruitment agencies operate as a closed syndicate sustained by corruption, lack of transparency, and systemic exploitation,” the experts noted. They also received reports of workers being pressured to sign or record false declarations stating that they had only paid official fees shortly before departure.
 
The experts reiterated that the Governments of Bangladesh and Malaysia have an obligation to ensure that labour migration is governed in a rights-based, transparent, and accountable manner. They urged Bangladesh to strengthen the oversight of recruitment agencies, possibly through a centralised job portal, and prohibit the collection of fees from migrant workers. Malaysia is asked to ensure stronger safeguards to protect migrants from exploitation, arbitrary arrest, detention or deportation. They stressed that involuntary repatriations and any form of reprisals by either governments or employers against migrant workers are wholly unacceptable and violate international human rights obligations.
 
They called on both countries to conduct prompt and independent investigations into reported abuses, provide effective remedies, including restitution and debt relief, and enhance cooperation to dismantle exploitative recruitment networks.
 
The experts urged both Governments to strengthen independent oversight in cooperation with civil society, trade unions, national human rights institutions, and UN agencies. In addition, they called for expanded labour inspections in high-risk sectors and effective firewalls between labour rights enforcement/service providers and immigration enforcement authorities. They further urged the Government of Bangladesh to provide pre-departure training for workers on their rights and establish effective reporting channels to secure remedies to migrants.

—

Malaysiakini 21st Dec 2025: Bangladesh court questions M’sia’s 10 conditions to supply workers

FMT 21st Nov 2025: UN experts flag ‘continued exploitation’ of Bangladeshis in Malaysia

Malaysiakini 13th Dec 2025: Dhaka clamps down on M’sia-linked worker ‘syndicate’, 232 implicated

Malaysiakini 3rd Dec 2025: Syndicate exploiting (trafficking) Bangladeshi workers for forced labour in Malaysia exists, agent tells Bangladesh court

TPBS 23rd Nov 2025: Bangladeshi workers pay up to RM30,000 for jobs in Malaysia – Former Malaysian plantations minister speaks out in dhaka

Daily Star 22nd Nov 2025: UN – Intensify efforts to safeguard migrant workers

Malaysiakini 22nd Nov 2025: UN – Continued exploitation of Bangladeshi workers in M’sia alarming

—
 
“We urge both Governments to intensify their efforts to ensure that migrant workers are not criminalised or re-victimised, and that fraudulent recruitment agencies and other responsible actors are held accountable,” the experts said.
 
They reiterated their readiness to continue constructive dialogue with both Governments and relevant actors.
 
The experts have been in contact with the Governments of Malaysia and Bangladesh on these issues.

*The experts:

• Tomoya Obokata, the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences;
• Gehad Madi, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants; 
• Pichamon Yeophantong (Chairperson), Damilola Olawuyi (Vice-Chairperson), Fernanda Hopenhaym, Lyra Jakulevičienė and Robert McCorquodale, Working Group on business and human rights.

Special Rapporteurs/Independent Experts/Working Groups are independent human rights experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Together, these experts are referred to as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. While the UN Human Rights office acts as the secretariat for Special Procedures, the experts serve in their individual capacity and are independent from any government or organization, including OHCHR and the UN. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the UN or OHCHR.

Country-specific observations and recommendations by the UN human rights mechanisms, including the special procedures, the treaty bodies and the Universal Periodic Review, can be found on the Universal Human Rights Index.

UN Human Rights, country page – https://www.ohchr.org/en/countries/bangladesh

For inquiries and media requests, please contact: Satya Jennings (satya.jennings@un.org).

For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts please contact Maya Derouaz (maya.derouaz@un.org) or Dharisha Indraguptha (dharisha.indraguptha@un.org)

Follow news related to the UN’s independent human rights experts on X: @UN_SPExperts.

—-

Daily Sun December 2025 News Series – BANGLADESHI MANPOWER EXPORT: CORRUPTION AT EVERY STEP – PART I, II, III and IV

—-

Human Rights Watch 27th Nov 2025: UN Experts Describe System of Exploitation and Mistreatment

Meenakshi Ganguly

Deputy Asia Director

@meeganguly

Sourced originally from: https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/11/26/rampant-labor-abuses-against-bangladeshi-migrant-workers-in-malaysia

United Nations human rights experts have highlighted “widespread and systematic” exploitation, deception, and deepening debt bondage of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia.

Over 800,000 Bangladeshis have Malaysian work permits, making them the largest group of documented foreign workers in the country. According to information received by the UN, thousands of workers are stranded in Bangladesh or face exploitation in Malaysia after some paid recruitment fees five times higher than the official rate.

TBS 27th Nov 2025: UN experts flag widespread exploitation of Bangladeshi migrant workers in Malaysia – HRW

Other abuses, including confiscation of passports by Malaysian employers, false job promises, discrepancies between contracts and promised employment packages, and a lack of support from responsible government agencies, are common in Malaysia.

Workers without proper documentation are at risk of arrest, detention, ill-treatment, and deportation under Malaysia’s draconian immigration act, which criminalizes irregular entry, and other anti-migrant policies. Malaysian authorities conduct frequent immigration raids and hold an estimated 18,000 migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in immigration detention centers.

The United States has previously issued import restrictions against Malaysian factories. Meanwhile the European Union’s Forced Labour Regulation, taking effect in 2027, introduces curbs on the trade of goods produced with forced labor. Debt bondage and deception of workers could lead to prohibitions on the sale of sanctioned goods under the new regulation.

The Bangladeshi and Malaysian governments, as well as those of other labor-sending or receiving countries and those where buying companies are headquartered such as the US, EU members, and the United Kingdom, have obligations to ensure labor migration is conducted in a way that protects workers’ rights. 

Malaysia and labor-sending governments like Bangladesh should implement the UN experts’ call to promptly investigate reported abuses and provide effective remedies. The experts emphasized that “involuntary repatriations (#Mediceram/Ansell) and any form of reprisals” against migrant workers violate international human rights obligations.

International buyers sourcing from Malaysia should use the Fair Labor Association’s Guidance for Responsible Recruitment for companies as a model. The guidance urges buyers to “include costs of responsible recruitment in their purchasing metrics” and ensure that their suppliers include those costs in their invoicing. Buyers should also support migrant workers’ access to legal aid.

Bangladesh and Malaysia should end mistreatment of migrant workers. All governments whose economies benefit from migrant workers’ labor should avoid the risk of further sanctions by taking steps to end practices that cause misery to thousands.

—-

LATEST RELATED NEWS 

21st Nov Daily Star: Malaysia should relax criteria for recruiters

19th Nov UNB: Some conditions set by Malaysia for labour recruitment ‘unacceptable’: Asif Nazrul 

19th Nov 2025 TBS: Bangladesh objects to Malaysia’s conditions over recruitment syndicate fears: Asif Nazrul

Nepali Times 16th Nov 2025: Nepal, Bangladesh reject Malaysian conditions – Ball back in Malaysia court on its strict new migrant labour recruitment criteria

15th Nov TBS News: After losing lakhs to ‘syndicate’, left-behind Bangladeshi workers in debt bondage and modern slavery paying yet again for Malaysia 

Malaysiakini 9th Nov 2025: Bangladesh court orders fresh probe into worker-sending syndicate to M’sia

FMT 7th Nov 2025: New hiring conditions will perpetuate monopoly, ex-MP warns

Kaler Kantho 7th Nov 2025 – Migrant labour market: Bangladesh sends letter to Malaysia to relax three syndicated recruitment conditions after Nepal rejects outright

—

Malaysiakini 6th Nov 2025: New Malaysian migrant worker ‘syndicate’ rules spark scandal in Nepal as millions in bribes allegedly paid to intermediaries to secure recruitment market 

B Nantha Kumar

Sourced from:https://m.malaysiakini.com/news/759971?login_method=google#

Malaysia’s recent move to tighten requirements over migrant labour supply for recruitment agencies has allegedly sparked a corruption scandal in Nepal.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, sources in Nepal told Malaysiakini that Malaysia’s introduction of the new “10 mandatory criteria” has caused panic among Nepalese agencies.

They explained how industry players now fear losing access to the Malaysian labour market, a key destination for many Nepalese workers. Nepal is also one of the main suppliers of migrant workers, especially security personnel, in Malaysia.

‎recruitment criteriaDownload

“As soon as the letter from the Malaysian government came out, several individuals in Nepal began offering ‘assistance’ to get approval.

“They claimed to have direct links with certain parties in Malaysia. Many were desperate, and so they paid,” said a source, who declined to be named for fear of their safety.

—

See also Kantipur Nov 5th 2025: Nepal sends letter to Malaysia, says manpower standards cannot be accepted

See also Kantipur Nov 3rd 2025: Malaysia’s manpower standards being finalized through diplomatic dialogue, says Nepal

See also 31st Oct 2025: Malaysian migrant Recruiters demand withdrawal of ‘irrational conditions’ for sending workers to Malaysia

See also 31st Oct 2025 Benarma – Malaysian Home minister: Bangladesh’s extradition request for Bestinet founder managed through govt, police channels

See also Nepali Times 30th Oct 2025: Who gets to recruit for Malaysia? Malaysia’s new 10-point recruiter selection criteria risks punishing the good migration actors

See also TBS 28th Oct 2025: Malaysia seeks ‘rationalisation’ of recruiting agencies based on 10 criteria

See also Dhaka Tribune 28th Oct 2025: Recruiting agencies warn of monopolization in Malaysia labour recruitment. They accused the ministry of creating a new recruitment syndicate – Baira leaders said 99% of agencies would be excluded

—

According to the source, at least five agencies in Nepal paid between RM1 million and RM1.5 million to a syndicate that allegedly has “close ties” with individuals who can influence the approval of worker quotas for Malaysia.

Malaysiakini has identified the companies and has contacted them for clarification.

Last week, the Foreign Affairs Ministry set 10 mandatory criteria for foreign agencies to supply workers to Malaysia.

—

Nepal Press release 2082.07.13.pdfDownload

Bangladesh response
Download

—

One of the criteria, which has been deemed highly controversial, stipulates that an agency wishing to send workers must have experience managing at least 3,000 workers in five years and successfully placing these workers in at least three countries.

On Oct 27, the ministry also sent letters to the embassies of source countries (countries eligible to send workers) and requested their respective governments to submit a list of agencies that can meet all the criteria by Nov 15.

Malaysiakini has viewed the letter in question.

Other stipulated conditions include having positive testimonials from at least five international employers, possessing a large permanent office (10,000 square feet) that has been operating for a minimum of three years, and having their own training centre.

A gathering held by the Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies

Further, at least two international associations have already criticised the new requirements, labelling them as unrealistic, unfair, and having the potential to revive “syndicates”.

Proceeds sent to India

Previously, the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira) and the Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (Nafea) described the new criteria as “impossible” to meet.

Both associations also claimed the requirements were merely a ploy to control the market and sideline new agencies. They also alleged that certain individuals in Malaysia were the “masterminds” behind an attempt to revive the syndicate system.

Meanwhile, another Nepali source also said a syndicate had already collected over RM6 million from several agencies that sought to ensure their names remain on the Malaysian government’s approved list.

“The proceeds from the collection have been sent to certain bank accounts in India,” the source added.

Malaysiakini is not disclosing the name of the agent collecting payments from India while waiting for their comment.

The source further explained how several agencies in Nepal are now facing immense pressure to comply with Malaysia’s stringent requirements while dealing with agents who tout their abilities to “manage” the process for a fee.

Demonstration in Nepal

When contacted by Malaysiakini, Nafea senior vice-president Sujith Kumar Shrestha confirmed the existence of a syndicate attempting to profit following the letter from the Malaysian government.

He also demanded an immediate investigation into these claims, including scrutinising the possibility of Malaysian parties colluding with the syndicate.

“This is no longer an administrative issue; this is an issue of cross-border corruption,” he said.

Separately, the organisation also held a demonstration yesterday, urging the Nepalese government to object to the Malaysian government’s conditions.

“Over 100 migrant worker agencies across the country (Nepal) had participated.

“Our goal is for ‘no syndicates’. Currently, workers in Nepal also have to fork out almost RM13,000 to come to Malaysia. If these new conditions are implemented, these payments will only increase further.

“If the Malaysian government still wants to implement this syndicate system, then the majority of labour recruitment companies and licence holders will be prepared to hand over their licences to the government,” Sujith added.

Previously, Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry said questions regarding the new criteria and migrant worker recruitment policy should be referred to the Human Resources Ministry.

—

Malaysiakini 9th Nov: Bangladesh court orders fresh probe into worker-sending syndicate to M’sia

B Nantha Kumar
Published: Nov 9, 2025 8:00 AM

Sourced from: https://m.malaysiakini.com/news/760233?login_method=google&fbclid=IwVERDUAN8wTxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeGUbm7lkoOg2BsgWugTme3dnKyf_OZmO_Yprss7NpTAecXYN9i7CFxmtRb-w_aem__4op5tM2D52hecXU-wcePw

The Dhaka High Court in Bangladesh has set aside the final report submitted by the Criminal Investigation Department, which had cleared 103 individuals accused of running a syndicate allegedly involved in human trafficking, fraud, extortion, and money laundering linked to the recruitment of workers for Malaysia.

When contacted, businessperson Altaf Khan’s lawyer, Md Rafiqul Islam, confirmed the court’s decision to Malaysiakini.

“The court made the decision after hearing arguments from both sides on Oct 30 and Nov 2, including at the Special Court for Prevention of Human Trafficking.

“In its ruling last Sunday, the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Court ordered police to reopen investigations into this high-profile case.

“The ruling paves the way for real justice,” he said briefly.

On Sept 3 last year, Altaf filed a police report at Paltan police station in Bangladesh against 103 individuals accused of siphoning off RM8.36 billion through an organised syndicate.
Among those named in the report were former expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment minister Imran Ahmed, former senior secretary Ahmed Munirus Saleheen, and former MP Nizam Uddin Hazari.

Imran Ahmed
Also accused were politician and retired lieutenant general Masud Uddin Chowdhury, Benjir Ahmed, and Kashmiri Kamal – along with her daughter Nafisa Kamal, who is the wife and daughter of former finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal.

At least 100 owners of Bangladeshi overseas recruitment agencies were also named in the report.

However, the CID previously concluded there was “no evidence” regarding the alleged syndicate.

‘Fabricated, biased’
Altaf claimed the CID’s report was “fabricated and biased” due to influence from the accused parties.
He subsequently petitioned the court to express no confidence in the CID’s findings and requested a fresh investigation.
Bangladesh’s labour-sending programme to Malaysia resumed in August 2022 after a nearly six-year suspension.
However, in May this year, after more than 476,000 workers had been deployed, the programme was halted, leaving another 17,000 licensed workers stranded.
At the time, Malaysia only authorised 25 Bangladeshi agencies to send workers – a group later dubbed the “syndicate” – allegedly linked to four former Bangladeshi ministers and MPs.

Although Bangladesh had set the official recruitment cost at 79,000 taka (about RM3,400) per worker, migrants claimed they were forced to pay as much as 544,000 taka (about RM23,000) each.

Of that, roughly 142,000 taka (RM4859) was collected by agents in Bangladesh and another 150,000 taka (RM5,133) by syndicate-linked parties in Malaysia for each visa.

M’sia requests halt to probe
In July, Malaysiakini reported that Bangladesh agreed to halt its investigation into the alleged syndicate exploiting its citizens seeking jobs in Malaysia, following a request from the Malaysian government.
According to a local official who requested anonymity, the decision was made during a meeting in Kuala Lumpur on July 17 between representatives of Bangladesh’s government and Malaysia’s Human Resources Ministry.

“Two officials, the special secretary and special assistant to Bangladesh’s chief adviser, visited Malaysia and met with ministry officials.

“During the meeting, the Bangladeshi representatives agreed to stop the investigation so that Malaysia could resume the recruitment process,” the official said.

Malaysiakini was informed that the meeting took place after Malaysia sent a letter to Bangladesh urging for the probe to be dropped, calling it baseless.

The purported letter, dated April 23, 2025, was sent by a senior Human Resources Ministry official to his counterpart at Bangladeshi Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry.
However, the Human Resources Ministry denied holding any formal meeting with Bangladeshi representatives and declined to comment on the contents of the letter.

—

Malaysiakini 6th Nov 2025: Nepal govt rejects Msia’s new labour requirements

The Nepalese government has rejected Malaysia’s new requirements for labour recruitment agencies, describing the criteria as unacceptable and contradictory to existing laws and policies.

Sourced from: https://m.malaysiakini.com/news/760068?login_method=google&fbclid=IwRlRTSAN5ZK5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeT5DiRoIStRwVP884upfPVt4XhfJgz06DUedch9RanrMUewGQOusjIsnLH0U_aem_1s98FL40e4V1KIj4Va3P8Q

According to an eKantipur report, Nepal’s Labour, Employment, and Social Security Ministry sent a diplomatic note to the Malaysian government on Tuesday, Nov 4, explaining how they could not fulfil the new criteria.

“The rules proposed by Malaysia would require amendments to our domestic laws. Right now, there is no possibility of doing that.

“The deployment of workers to Malaysia has long been conducted according to the Foreign Employment Act, national immigration policy, and a bilateral labour agreement between the two countries,” said a senior official from the Nepalese Prime Minister and Ministers Council Office, who was quoted in the report.

“The labour relations between Malaysia and Nepal are strong. However, any issues must be resolved through mutual consultation, not by setting unilateral conditions,” he added.

Further, he explained that the decision to reject the criteria had been made based on instructions from interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki, who currently holds the Labour and Foreign Affairs portfolios in the caretaker government formed after Gen Z led nationwide protests.

Nepal passport
The diplomatic note, issued via the Nepalese Foreign Affairs Ministry, was in response to Malaysia’s decision to impose 10 new criteria for selecting foreign labour agencies supplying migrant workers to Malaysia.

One of the criteria, which has been deemed highly controversial, stipulates that an agency wishing to send workers must have experience managing at least 3,000 workers in five years and successfully placing these workers in at least three countries.

Other stipulated conditions include having positive testimonials from at least five international employers, possessing a large permanent office (10,000 square feet) that has been operating for a minimum of three years, and having their own training centre.

Risk of labour syndicates
On Oct 27, Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry issued an official letter to the embassies of source countries (countries eligible to send migrant workers to Malaysia), including Nepal.

In the letter sighted by Malaysiakini, Putrajaya requested these governments to submit a list of all labour agencies capable of meeting these new requirements by Nov 15.

Malaysian Foreign Ministry
In response, at least two international organisations have condemned the Malaysian government’s new requirements for migrant worker recruitment, describing them as unfair, unrealistic, and potentially risking the revival of labour syndicates.

Earlier this week, the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira) and the Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (Nafea) said the 10 criteria set by the Foreign Ministry were “impossible” to meet.

Both groups also claimed the requirements were merely a ploy to control the market and sideline new agencies, and that certain individuals in Malaysia had allegedly been the “masterminds” behind an attempt to reinstate these labour syndicates.

However, the Foreign Ministry has clarified that any questions regarding the criteria and migrant worker recruitment policy should be referred to the Human Resources Ministry as the lead ministry on the matter.

M’sia-Nepal meeting
Meanwhile, the Nepalese government announced that a joint technical committee meeting would be held to discuss the issue, while reiterating its commitment to ensuring the welfare and safety of Nepalese workers in Malaysia.

Karki was reported to have instructed Foreign Secretary Amrit Kumar Rai to hold high-level consultations with the Malaysian government, including discussions with Malaysia’s acting ambassador in Kathmandu.

Malaysiakini also recently reported that Malaysia’s move to tighten the eligibility of migrant worker supply agencies has allegedly sparked corruption in Nepal, a key labour supplier for security personnel in Malaysia.

According to sources, at least five agencies in Nepal have recently paid between RM1 million and RM1.5 million to a syndicate that has alleged “close ties” with individuals who could influence the approval of worker quotas to Malaysia.

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Malaysiakini 4th Nov 2025: ‘10 conditions to supply migrant workers will revive syndicate’ in Malaysia, say international groups 

B Nantha Kumar

Published:  Nov 4, 2025

Sourced from: https://m.malaysiakini.com/news/759896

Summary

• The Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira) and the Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (Nafea) slam the Foreign Ministry’s 10 new mandatory criteria for migrant worker agencies as ‘impossible’ and ‘illogical.’
• The associations claim the conditions – such as needing experience managing 3,000 workers in five years and operating in three countries – are a ploy to control the market and potentially revive a syndicate.
• A local activist and PKR member, V Sivam, has sent a letter to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim protesting the policy for its lack of transparency and potential to negatively affect legitimate local agencies.

At least two international associations have slammed the Putrajaya’s new conditions for recruiting migrant workers, describing them as unrealistic, unfair, and potentially reviving a syndicate.

This comes after the government, through the Foreign Ministry, set 10 mandatory criteria for foreign agencies to supply workers to Malaysia.

The ministry sent a letter dated Oct 27, sighted by Malaysiakini, to embassies of source countries and requested their respective governments to submit a list of agencies capable of meeting all the conditions no later than Nov 15.

Among the conditions deemed controversial is that agencies wishing to send migrant workers to Malaysia must have experience managing at least 3,000 workers in five years and placing workers in at least three countries.

The letter sighted by Malaysiakini 

Other conditions set are having positive testimonials from at least five international employers, owning a large, permanent office ( about 10,000 square feet) that has been operating for at least three years, and having their own training centre.

‘Discriminatory’

Speaking to Malaysiakini, the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira) and the Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (Nafea) said the 10 criteria set by the Foreign Ministry were “impossible” for almost all agencies, even experienced ones, to meet.

Both associations also claimed these conditions are merely a ploy to control the market and eliminate new agencies, in addition to several individuals in Malaysia being the “masterminds” behind an attempt to revive the syndicate system.

“The policy sounds good on paper, but 99 percent of agencies in Bangladesh and other countries cannot fulfil it. A large part of these criteria is irrelevant, unethical, and malicious.

“The 10 criteria are ‘illogical and discriminatory’, as the migrant worker market to Malaysia was closed for a long time – including from 2009 to 2012 – and then controlled by a syndicate between 2017 and 2024.

“How can an agency send workers to three different countries if the market is closed? This is crazy,” said former Baira joint secretary-general-1 Mohammed Fakhrul Islam.

Meanwhile, Nafea also voiced similar concerns over the move, saying Malaysia’s move to limit only a few agencies to operate is “unfair and contradicts international norms”.

“This decision denies the right of Nepalese agencies to operate freely and will increase the financial burden on Nepalese workers.

“A system like this will undermine the overseas employment policy of the Nepalese government and open the door to corruption and worker exploitation.

“Overseas employment involves the mutual interests of employers and workers. Limiting licensed agencies is an attack on the right to fair competition,” said Nafea secretary-general Mahesh Kumar Barnet.

The association urged the Nepalese government not to recognise any syndicate and demanded that Malaysia withdraw the policy.

‘Ask Human Resources Ministry’

When contacted, the Foreign Ministry referred Malaysiakini’s queries to the Human Resources Ministry.

“The Foreign Ministry takes note of the queries regarding the diplomatic note sent to the embassies of several source countries concerning the rationalisation process of migrant worker recruitment agencies. 

“This step is part of the government’s initiative to strengthen ethical and transparent practices in migrant worker recruitment.

“In this regard, Human Resources Ministry is the lead ministry responsible for formulating and setting the policy on migrant worker recruitment.

“The (Foreign Ministry’s) role is solely to convey the policy set by the government through the proper diplomatic channels. Any detailed questions about the policy should be directed straight to Human Resources Ministry,” a source from the ministry said. 

Bangladesh stops probe

On July 31, Malaysiakini reported that Bangladesh agreed to halt its investigationinto the alleged syndicate exploiting Bangladeshi citizens seeking work in Malaysia.

This was after a source claimed the decision was reached at a meeting in July between representatives of the Bangladeshi government and Human Resources Ministry officials in Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysiakini was also told the meeting was held following a letter from the Malaysian government to Bangladesh requesting that the investigation into the allegations, deemed unfounded, be stopped.

The letter dated April 23 was said to be sent from a senior Human Resources Ministry official to a senior official at the Bangladeshi Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry.

In the letter, the Human Resources Ministry asked Bangladesh to address the syndicate issue exploiting Bangladeshi citizens seeking work in Malaysia from 2022 to 2024 to ensure a smooth and reliable worker recruitment process.

The letter also stated that most allegations of human trafficking and money laundering were unsubstantiated and harmed Malaysia’s reputation.

To date, the Human Resources Ministry has refused to comment on the existence of the letter.

Protest letter to Anwar

Meanwhile, a local activist has sent a letter to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to protest the government’s new conditions for migrant worker recruitment.

When contacted, V Sivam, who is also a PKR member, confirmed sending the letter to Anwar.

“The process of selecting licensed agencies in this new policy is not transparent and may be biased, which could open the door to domination by a few parties, as well as the risk of a syndicate hidden amidst the approved agencies.

“This rationale is expected to affect many legitimate, long-operating local agencies with good records, as only a handful of agencies may be selected to continue operating. 

“This is considered unfair to local operators who have complied with existing regulations,” he said.

Sivam also stressed that the policy is not consistent with the spirit of openness and good governance emphasised in the Madani government’s policy, as it was made without considering the views of the industry and stakeholders and could damage Malaysia’s image in the eyes of the world.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim 

“I appeal to the prime minister to review and cancel the implementation of the policy in the memo, to ensure equal opportunities for all worker recruitment agencies and to maintain the principles of fairness, transparency and integrity in the country’s migrant labour affairs,” he said.

In September last year, it was reported that a Bangladeshi agency owner filed a police report against 103 individuals (agency owners) on allegations of being involved in a syndicate exploiting Bangladeshi citizens seeking work in Malaysia.

The police report referred to allegations of misappropriation and human trafficking linked to the process of sending workers from that country to Malaysia, through agencies chosen via the memorandum of understanding between the two countries signed on Dec 19, 2021.

More than 480,000 Bangladeshi workers entered Malaysia between 2022-2024 through the 103 agencies licensed by both governments.

Several local and Bangladeshi NGOs claimed that the decision by both countries to allow only 103 agencies to bring in migrant workers resulted in many workers being trapped by false promises after paying up to RM25,000 in recruitment fees, often through debt.

—

My Opinion Piece 12th August 2025: As Anwar meets Yunus, Corrupted Bangladesh Malaysia Recruitment Corridor Needs Reform

Andy Hall, independent migrant worker rights specialist (andy@andyjhall.org)

Rahman, Bangladesh migration researcher 

Bangladeshi migrants are heroes, contributing to their nation’s economy through remittances and to countries like Malaysia through hard work and skills. The Bangladesh to Malaysia migration corridor remains the most economically significant and controversial one for both countries. 

Yet Bangladeshi workers face gross exploitation, including debt bondage and modern slavery, migrating to and working in Malaysia. 

UN experts in 2024 raised concerns about more than 500,000 of these workers promised meaningful employment but instead facing abuse at the hands of recruitment intermediaries, bogus employers, corrupt officials and failed migration management systems of both countries concerned. 

SCMP 12th Aug 2025: Malaysia-Bangladesh labour migration talks resume amid job scam fears

Malaysia placed a freeze on hiring last year after thousands of Bangladeshi workers were left stranded and exploited by recruitment scams

Original Source: SCMP by Joseph Sipalanand Hadi Azmi – 12th August 2025

—-———————————————

This flawed recruitment system between Bangladesh and Malaysia has involved only a few recruitment agencies, raising assumptions of corruption and impunity that undermine fair competition. 

The migration management system involving FWCMS  and Bestinet utilized for migration from Bangladesh to Malaysia is accused of non-transparent behaviour and essentially trading in human misery.  

Apart from violations of competition and anti-corruption laws, hard to prove without evidence of informal money transfers across borders, suffering of the workers facing extortionate costs and abuse is undeniable.

Workers’ migration costs generally range from 450,000 to 550,000 BDT against a legal limit of 78, 990 BDT. For impoverished villagers, this results in acute debt bondage. 

Property is mortgaged or sold, children’s education is sacrificed, health care lost. Lives destroyed. 

Recruitment intermediaries, bogus employers and corrupt officials are involved in a criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshi workers with false job promises for forced labour and modern slavery in Malaysia, using a migration management system that is shrouded in controversy and abuse. 

Once these workers arrive in Malaysia, they often become unemployed and fall into absolute destitution. Many employers are bogus and promised jobs non-existent. Workers become trapped in a living hell. 

Debt bondage, document confiscation, restricted freedom of movement, poor housing and limited access to healthcare and food. Many overstay visas and run away to change employers risking arrest, deportation and extortion by corrupt officials once they escape oppressors and protectors. Violence, persecution and powerlessness. 

Yet all the time, criminals continue to profit from this inhumane and rotten recruitment scheme. 

Due to widespread and repeated malpractices, migration from Bangladesh to Malaysia has been halted four times in 10 years, most recently last year. Around 20,000 workers were left stranded in Dhaka in 2024 when the migration corridor most recently descended into chaos. Only recently they were belatedly offered jobs in a Malaysian construction sector known to abuse. 

This labour migration corridor has always been under intense media scrutiny. We pushed the UN complaint to internationalize this issue further in 2024. 

There have also been investigations involving Interpol and the Bangladeshi and Malaysian Anti-Corruption commission against masterminds allegedly behind this scam. But still no signs of accountability or justice.

Disappointingly, as administrations change in both countries, the persistence of this flawed recruitment process outlives the leaders. This raises concern if those behind it are even more powerful than those meant to regulate it. 

Malaysia’s migration management system is often held up to criticism. Systematically corrupt and allowing impunity, the rule of law has long been undermined.  Concern is now even rising of abuses in the Nepal Malaysia migration coridoor too. 

Bangladesh’s major political parties also fail to address its broken recruitment and migration management systems that breed exploitation with little prioritization of migrant rights in their reform agendas and government budgets. 

Neither BNP’s 31-point proposal nor Jamaat-e-Islami’s 41-point plan demonstrate a strong commitment to addressing the needs of migrants but rather lack of political will to safeguard their rights. 

Stubbornly, recruitment costs paid by Bangladeshis remain some of the highest in the world.

Local media reports on two high level meetings between Bangladesh and Malaysia held in Dhaka and KL in May to discuss reopening this migration corridor suggest tragic lessons learnt from the abuse of millions of Bangladeshis in Malaysia in the past decade may still not have been fully acknowledged and acted on.

The media has reported the interim Bangladeshi administration has responded to Malaysia’s recent request to withdraw accusations and stop investigations into the Malaysia recruitment corridor by stating Malaysia was not involved in misconduct or ill-treatment. 

This misguided approach to reopening an abusive migration corridor tramples on the voices of millions of exploited workers. 

Halting investigations into an illicit recruitment system between Malaysia and Bangladesh, or claiming no one is culpable when there is just so much evidence of the harm done is cruelly denying the abuse, preventing accountability and undermining the rule of law. 

This approach only reinforces the Bangladeshi and Malaysian states’ decades old failure to protect migrant rights and reform their broken recruitment systems. It prevents the pursuit of justice and is an affront to human dignity.

The existing MoU on migration between the two nations allows for workers’ exploitation, funneling illicit profits to masterminds and undermining the rule of law. Key parts of the text should be changed. 

Instead of getting to the root cause of the problems, which lies with corruption and human cruelty, both governments appear instead to be disconnected from human suffering. They perhaps overlook exploitation or conceal abuses to save face yet ignore joint national, economic and human security interests.

Both governments will fail millions of victims of this persistently abusive migration corridor if they don’t reform it and surrender again, in the interests of political expediency, to trafficking of Bangladeshis for forced labour. 

UN organizations should again raise these concerns to both governments, as they did in early 2024. Diplomats and global supply chain actors whose operations are deeply entwined with this migration corridor should be speaking out too.

If today’s meeting between Anwar Ibrahim and Muhammad Yunus in Putrajaya, Malaysia results in abusive migration management systems winning out again between Bangladesh and Malaysia, casting basic human rights aside, it puts millions more Bangladeshis at risk of modern slavery through shameful indictment of a rotten system that refuses to change and which we all have failed to expose and regulate.

—

Kathmandu Post 8th June 2025: Nepal Malaysia migration corridor – Attempts to impose a total employment syndicate from Nepal to Malaysia have raised concerns (My Op Ed)

In 2023, more than 220,000 Nepalis went to Malaysia, the most popular destination for workers seeking income. Although Malaysia is an ‘attractive’ destination for Nepali citizens, most suffer gross exploitation in reality when migrating to and working in the country. High recruitment costs and related debt bondage, false terms of employment, and dangerous, dirty and demeaning jobs. Fake employers acting as outsourcing agents treat workers like cattle or leave them at risk of arrest, extortion and deportation. 

Attempts to impose a total employment syndicate from Nepal to Malaysia have raised concerns.

Original Source: Kathamandu Post – Published: June 8, 2025 – Andy Hall & Dhurba Mijar

Nepalis in Malaysia also experience ineffective grievance mechanisms and dire consular assistance from the Nepali Embassy, in addition to passport confiscation, limited freedom of movement, violence and even death. Security guards, a job assigned exclusively to Nepali foreign workers, face some of the worst exploitation, ranging from excessive, compulsory overtime, no day off, irregular salary payment and deductions, poor housing, to lack of access to healthcare. 

Most recently, from 2022 to 2024, the Bangladesh–Malaysia migration corridor was completely controlled by a syndicatethat led to the trafficking of Bangladeshi workers for forced labour in the country. The UN condemned this abuse in multiple statements, as workers shouldered debts of $5,000 and destitution once they arrived in Malaysia at non-existent jobs. Recruitment, travel, visa and medical check agencies were all selected to be part of the exclusive syndicate, which saw most business actors shut out.

Similarly, some syndicates have allegedly existed in Nepal’s migration processes to Malaysia for medical, visa, or security. However, migration costs from Nepal to Malaysia are lower than those from Bangladesh, and the entire recruitment system has never been syndicated. The number of agencies processing workers for migration to Malaysia was never restricted. However, similar efforts to impose a total syndicate from Nepal to Malaysia, like those in Bangladesh, have recently sparked accusations and denials. 

The Malaysian migration system is rotten. It is plagued by systemic corruption, impunity and a lack of the rule of law. There is also an absence of a long-term migration policy that equally prioritises national, economic and human security. But the recently exposed Bhutanese refugee scam and the fake visit visa scandal have revealed widespread abuse of power in Nepal, too. Nepalis are trafficked into debt and forced labour across the world, and the ministers seem increasingly complicit in this. 

Malaysia is a relatively developed country reliant on migrant labour-intensive global supply chains. It exports products made using foreign labour, such as palm oil, garments, electronics and furniture. Malaysia is obliged, at least on paper, to adhere to international Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) frameworks. Any form of syndicate when recruiting workers into its global supply chains that increases recruitment costs, forced labour and debt bondage risks, and dilutes transparency and fair competition raises questions about its commitment to ESG principles.

Migrant debt bondage due to exorbitant recruitment costs resulted in the US Customs and Border Protection placing a forced labour import ban on several prominent Malaysian companies from 2020 onwards. These companies paidmillions to workers, with the highest amount to those from Bangladesh, as reimbursement for recruitment costs to victims of abuse to clear their names.

If a total syndicate is implemented to tightly control who can process workers for migration within the Nepal-Malaysia migration corridor, it will lead to cronyism, processing delays and higher costs. Political coalitions in the country could also disintegrate over corruption controversies. This would not only affect the Nepali government and its workers, but also responsible Malaysian employers. 

Despite significant implementation weaknesses, Nepal’s lower-cost recruitment policies attracted responsible Malaysian companies to hire Nepalis rather than Bangladeshis until May 2024, when all recruitment was suspended due to systemic irregularities and abuse. However, if a syndicate is implemented for Nepal, decent companies in Malaysia will shun recruiting Nepalis for alternatives where syndicates are not active.

This would leave Nepalis migrating to Malaysia only for jobs in sectors that do not prioritise worker welfare and are not linked to global supply chains, such as security, cleaning, local restaurants, construction and local manufacturing. The syndicate will burden Nepalis financially, ensuring higher recruitment costs whilst profiting corrupt actors. Illegal transactions of laundered cash to pay the demanded illicit commission in Malaysia would rise, affecting the national economy and raising questions about commitments to financial governance. 

International efforts to develop a responsible recruitment framework focused on Malaysia’s migration corridor were most successful in Nepal. If a recruitment syndicate is implemented, these achievements will be lost, and Nepalis will face a sad situation similar to that of Bangladeshis.

Discussions are underway about only letting a few manpower agencies participate in a syndicate. This means others will be excluded from Malaysia’s labour market, forced to lay off staff or close. This would violate Nepal’s Constitution and the Competition Promotion and Market Protection Act of 2007, guaranteeing citizens the right to sell goods and services fairly and competitively. Any syndicate could and would be challenged in the Supreme Court.

However, it is necessary to end unhealthy competition and corrupt practices of most manpower agencies in Nepal, such as paying higher commissions to secure manpower demands over competitors at any cost to workers or Malaysian agents or employers.

The 2018 MoU signed between Nepal and Malaysia concerning recruitment, employment and repatriation of Nepali workers helped slightly to promote dignified labour migration. However, both governments’ lack of concern in reviewing the agreement, which expired last year, raises doubts about their commitment to worker welfare.

Despite the necessity of discussions on improving the welfare of workers migrating from countries like Nepal and Bangladesh to Malaysia, we are forced to focus on preventing monopolistic practices that threaten workers’ most basic rights.

Any non-transparent monopoly in Nepal’s migrant worker recruitment processes will harm the country’s remittance-dependent economy. If everyone remains silent as recruitment syndicates develop, the exploitation of Nepalese will deepen.

Nepal’s recruitment industry should engage the government to develop more responsible recruitment systems for Malaysian and other key destination countries for Nepali workers. The government of Nepal should also ensure its cabinet ministers do not sign unfair agreements and instead take the lead in building collective efforts with other migrant source countries, like Bangladesh, to stand against the bullying tactics of corrupt groups—both in Malaysia and Nepal—that may be seeking to expand a recruitment syndicate.

Nepal should strengthen ethical recruitment processes to impose upon destination countries that are desperate for loyal and hard-working Nepali nationals. Similarly, Malaysia, in coordination with countries like Nepal, must reform its rotten migration management systems and prioritise on worker welfare, ensuring transparency, and fulfil its obligations as a developed nation to stop the spread of exploitation, impunity and a lack of rule of law into recruitment experiences of the region’s most vulnerable migrant workers.

Andy Hall

Hall is an independent migrant worker rights specialist.

Dhurba Mijar

Mijar is the director and founder of Migration Dristi.

Related Background Articles

Business Standard 15th August 2025:Bangladesh, Malaysia have agreed to establish transparent recruitment system for workers – Bangladesh Chief Advisor Yunus

Bernama 14th August 2025: Bangladesh, Malaysia push for transparent hiring of workers (Bangla version here) 

Daily Star 14th Aug 2025: Chief Advisor’s Malaysia Tour Boosts Dhaka KL Ties But Migrant Worker Issues Sidelines

Daily Star 12th August 2025: Human trafficking charges – CID clears ex-minister, secy after KL’s request

Daily Star 12th Aug 2025: Migration rights groups alarmed over possible clearing of Malaysia recruitment syndicate suspects

August 12th 2025 Bangla Tribune: Bangladesh Civil Society for Migrants (BCSM) demands open and transparent sending of workers to Malaysia

Malaysiakini 11th August 2025: Alleged members of Bangladeshi workers’ syndicate may walk: Report

Business Standard 10th August 2025: As Anwar and Yunus meet in Malaysia today, recruitment syndicate actors cleared of misconduct, news report suggests – Malaysia labour ‘syndicate’: Lotus Kamal’s family, 3 ex-AL MPs cleared of exploitation charges

Business Standard 1st August 2025: Malaysia to hire workers who missed last year’s deadline in construction, traditional sectors: Bangladesh mission in KL

Malaysiakini 31 July 2025 – ‘Source: Bangladesh to stop probing migrant workers’ exploitation syndicate’

Kathmandu Post 8th June 2025: Nepal Malaysia migration corridor – Attempts to impose a total employment syndicate from Nepal to Malaysia have raised concerns (My Op Ed)

Malaysiakini 7th June 2025: Duped, deported, and in debt: Nepal’s migrant worker trap

TBS 23rd May 2025: Malaysia to reopen labour market to Bangaldeshi migrants, syndicate stays but may expand agency list

20th May 2025: BAIRA faction alleged attack during press briefing against Malaysian labour market syndicate

Daily Star 19th May 2025: ‘Job scam’ – 33 Bangladeshis sue Malaysian firm, govt for Tk 4.8cr

FMT 18th May 2025: 33 Bangladeshi migrant workers sue Malaysian recruitment firm, Malaysian govt over job scam from alleged syndicate trafficking Bangladeshi workers for forced labour in Malaysia

16th May 2025 Channel News Asia (CNA): Malaysia to resume recruitment of stranded Bangladeshi workers, vows to protect them from abuse, fraud

16th May 2025: Conditions on manpower export after Amin Noor was indicted – Malaysia calls for withdrawal of all controversial cases against 100 agencies designated by government

Daily Star 16th May 2025: Malaysia job market – Bangladeshis may be given preference

Star 16th May 2025: Malaysia committed to protecting Bangladeshi workers from exploitation, says Saifuddin

Daily Sun 16th May 2025: Malaysian labour market beckons Bangladeshis again

New Nation 16th May 2025: Malaysia labour market set to reopen

Bloomberg EXCLUSIVE 15th May 2025: Malaysia Asks Bangladesh to Withdraw Migrant Labor Probes

FMT 15th May 2025: Bangladesh clears Malaysia of labour abuse claims

Daily Star Editorial 15th May 2025: Don’t let Malaysia recruitment syndicates exploit migrants again – Workers’ rights must be prioritised during bilateral talks

SCMP 15th May 2025: Malaysia, Bangladesh urged to act on labour trafficking before ending migrant worker freeze

FMT 15th May 2025: Malaysia asks Bangladesh to withdraw migrant labour probes (taken from Bloomberg media) 

Daily Star 15th May 2025: Bangladesh Malaysia agrees to recruit ‘large number’ of Bangladeshi workers

Daily Star 14th May 2025: Bangladeshi migrants in malaysia: Dhaka’s uphill battle to break syndicate chains

Daily Sun 15th May 2025: REOPENING OF MALAYSIAN LABOUR MARKET – A new deal or another compromise with syndication?

TBS 14th May 2025: Rights body urges syndicate-free hiring as expatriate adviser visits Malaysia

FMT 14th May 2025: Malaysia-Bangladesh labour talks must address cartel issues, says ex-MP as Bangladeshi Expatriates Advisor Arrives in Malaysia

ProthomAlo 18th April 2025: Bangladesh: Awami League supporters are dropping out, but the ‘Malaysia Circle’ is trying to form again

FMT 7th Apr 2025: Activist warns of syndicate threat to migrant labour reforms in Malaysia

TBS 8th May 2025: Halt Malaysia worker flow if syndicate persists: Labour stakeholders to govt

Bangla News 24 8th 2025: Fraud in manpower export to Malaysia
That dream is still elusive (Bangladeshi Language)

Aliran 8th May 2025: Breaking a 30-year monopoly on Malaysia’s migrant worker medical testing syndicate: Why Fomema should not dominate foreign worker medical screenings in the future – calling for an end to Malaysian foreign worker healthcare/recruitment syndicate

Ratopati 8th May 2025: Foreign employment: Syndicate of manpower professionals in Nepal tries to exclusively send migrant workers to Malaysia (Nepali language) 

Madhyahana Daily 7th May 2025: There Is No Possibility Of Forming A Syndicate In Nepal Malaysian Employment: Nepal Labor Minister Bhandari Statement

SajhaSabal 6th May 2025: Foreign Employment Nepal – Malaysia Employment: Are Recruitment Syndicate Operators in Nepal and Malaysia More Powerful Than the Government? Whose Plan Is This? (Bangladeshi Malaysia like recruitment syndicate fears hit Nepal Malaysia recruitment market) (Nepali Language)

5th May 2025 Daily Star: BAIRA urges govt to reopen Malaysian labour market

5th May 2025 Kalerkantho: Fraud in manpower export to Malaysia – 8 billion taka of workers’ money in Swapan’s pocket

5th May Prothomalo: Bangladesh Memorandum to the Chief Advisor – Demand to open Malaysia’s labor market to all legal agencies

Kalerkantho 1 May, 2025: Swapan-Amin’s luxurious life with workers’ money from Bangladesh/Malaysia migrant worker recruitment scam

Kalerkantho 01 May, 2025: Bangladeshi Workers are living inhumane lives in Bangladesh without getting their money back due to Malaysian recruitment syndicate/scam

30th April 2025 Kalerkantho: Swapan-Amin cycle active again – Fraud in manpower export to Malaysia

5th Nov 2024: Bloomberg – Bangladesh Asks Malaysia to Arrest Businessmen in Migrant Trafficking Case

PSM/Rani Rasiah 11th Nov 2024 – Extradition call – Justice in sight for migrant worker recruitment fraud victims?

Daily Star 11th Nov 2024: Dhaka, KL must act to end trafficking

FMT 10th Nov 2024: Govt wants Dhaka to clarify extradition request for duo

FMT 7th Nov 2024: Silence not an option, govt told, as Bangladesh seeks duo’s extradition

Free Malaysia Today 6th Nov 2024: Bestinet founder denies misconduct amid report of extradition

CNA 6th Nov 2024: Bangladesh asks Malaysia to arrest and extradite 2 businessmen over alleged migrant worker trafficking and extortion

Commentary: Anwar faces political tricky situation in tackling migrant labour issues

Corruption crackdown in Bangladesh sends tremors through Malaysia’s migrant labour ecosystem

Malaysia’s bid to revamp hiring of foreign workers faces pushback; activists say country’s reputation at stake

6th Nov 2024: Malaysiakini – Amid extradition call, Bestinet founder denies money laundering claim

Malaysiakini 5th Nov 2024: Bangladesh wants M’sia to extradite Bestinet founder, associate

UCA News 7th Oct 2024: Ending Bangladeshi workers’ Malaysian plight is a test for their leaders

Daily Star 6th Oct 2024: Anwar ibrahim’s visit: A chance to root out graft from labour hiring

SCMP 5th Oct 2024: Malaysia must slash fees, smash cartels to reopen Bangladesh labour market – rights groups

5th Oct 2024: Benar News – Malaysia’s PM Anwar promises Bangladeshi migrant workers will be treated fairly

Reuters Oct 4th 2024: Malaysia PM Anwar Ibrahim to visit Bangladesh, focus on labour issues

Benar News Oct 4th 2024: PM pledges priority for Bangladesh migrant workers who missed out

Daily Star Oct 5th 2024: Diplomacy – Malaysia entry debacle – Anwar Ibrahim to consider issue of Bangladeshi workers

Daily Star Oct 5th 2024: Amending MoU on Malaysia-bound Bangladeshi workers can bring a sea change

Daily Star 5th Oct 2024: 
Labour Export – President seeks support from Malaysia

New Age Oct 5th 2024: Malaysian PM pledges new entry of 18,000 migrant workers from Bangladesh

20th Sept 2024: Prothmalo – Aminul and Ruhul Amin involved in alleged migrant worker syndicate money ‘laundering’ to Malaysia

20th Sept 2024: Scoop – MACC’s Bestinet probe is ‘NFA’, no proof of other money-laundering claims: Azam Baki

20th Sept 2024: Malaysiakini – Bestinet denies money laundering allegations

Daily Star Sept 7th 2024: Dismantling the recruitment syndicate for Malaysian labour market

FMT 7th July 2024: Use independent experts for migrant system audit, says anti-graft group

MALAYSIAKINI 6th July 2024 C4CENTER COMMENT: Massive migrant labour recruiting issues, cops must probe

NST 6th July 2024: Probe foreign labour recruitment misgovernance highlighted by PAC, govt urged

FMT 6th July 2024: Anti-corruption watchdog demands action over govt-Bestinet deal

Malay Mail 6th July 2024: Home minister says will review PAC criticism over migrant worker system launched without contract

6th July 2024: Migration to Malaysia – Money of all workers who failed to depart as part of alleged criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshi workers for forced labour in Malaysia to be refunded

Star 5th July 2024: Mutual termination clause in Bestinet contract puts Putrajaya in ‘challenging position’, says Public Accounts Committee report

4th July 2024 BSS News – Expatriates Minister Shofiqur directs returning money to workers who failed to go to Malaysia

4th July 2024 New Age – Bangladeshi Agencies must refund workers unable to go to Malaysia by July 18: ministry

FMT 4th July 2024: Govt urged to heed PAC’s call on migrant worker system

Star 4th July 2024: Human Resources Ministry to conduct internal audit

Star 4th July 2024: PAC uncovers serious flaws

FMT 3rd July 2024: Decide quickly on direction of migrant worker system in Malaysia, Public Accounts Committee tells govt

Vibes 3rd July 2024: Foreign worker management system operating 6 years without a contract 

3rd July 2024: The Edge – Public Accounts Committee chastises govt for running foreign worker recruitment system for six years without contract

Malaysiakini 3rd July 2024: BESTINET Probe – Public Accounts Committee chief says ‘Datuk Amin’ not among witnesses

3rd July 2024: The Star – Bestinet told Public Accounts Committee unauthorised users were approved by HR Ministry personnel, report shows

FMT 2nd July 2024: Tenaganita letter to Editor – TIP upgrade no cause for celebration just yet

30th June 2024: Somoy News – Bangladeshi High Court orders disclosure of action on Malaysia migrant worker scam (with 500,000+ victims) in 7 days

Malay Mail 25th June 2024: Home minister sees good things for Malaysian businesses after upgrade to US trafficking ranking

The Star 25th June 2024: Malaysia will strive to reach Tier 1 in Trafficking In Persons report, says Saifuddin

Scoop 25th June 2024: Nation’s improved Tier 2 human trafficking ranking ‘dangerously misleading’, says activist

See also MALAYSIAKINI 25th June 2024: M’sia doesn’t deserve Tier 2 in US human trafficking ranking – activist

Daily Star 26th June 2024: Rights activists criticise Malaysia’s improved ranking

See also Benar News 24th June 2024: Malaysia advances in US State Dept’s world rankings for anti-human trafficking efforts

See also FMT 24th June 2024: Malaysia upgraded to Tier 2 in US human trafficking report

See also Benarma 25th June 2024: Malaysia upgraded to Tier 2 in U.S. TIP Report

See also Focus Malaysia 25th June 2024: Migrant workers’ activist – Malaysia doesn’t deserve Tier 2 upgrade in 2024 US human trafficking report

See also 25th June 2024: Home Ministry welcomes country’s Tier 2 upgrade on Trafficking in Persons 2024 report

See also FMT 25th June 2024: Home ministry open to working with NGOs against human trafficking

See also Star 25th June 2024: Malaysia upgraded to Tier 2 in latest Trafficking in Persons report

SCMP 25th June 2024: Malaysia’s upgrade in US human trafficking index decried as ‘disappointing’ amid migrant worker woes

24th June 2024 Exclusive Analysis: CNA – Extension of Malaysia’s controversial migrant labour ecosystem (involving BESTINET) a blow to PM Anwar’s reform agenda 

See New Strait Times 24th June 2024: Malaysian Government Forms Committee to Review Terms of Bestinet’s 3 Year Extension

FMT 24th June 2024: Bestinet contract extended, confirms Saifuddin – ‘Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail says the Cabinet decided in principle on the extension ‘several weeks ago’.

Malay Mail 24th June 2024: Home Minister – Bestinet keeps foreign worker system contract for three more years, but with stricter terms

Bernama News 24th June 2024: Committee set up to Peruse Terms and Conditions of BESTINET Contract

FMT 24th June 2024: Bestinet to surrender control of workers management system under new deal

FMT 24th June 2024: Bestinet should be phased out eventually, says ex-MP

Malaysianist 18th June 2024: Minting money from a migrant services monopoly (click to subscribe for full article)

9th June 2024 Daily Star – Labour Recruitment from Bangladesh to Malaysia: Syndicate wins, migrants suffer, country loses(excellent summary how bad triumphed, carnage resulted – Bangladesh and Malaysia MUST be downgraded to Tier 3 in the upcoming U.S. TIP report!)

Dhaka Tribune 11th June 2024: Deadline extended for Malaysia migration hurdle complaints

Business Standard 11th June: Unrest within Baira over Malaysian labour market, ruckus in AGM as committee members assaulted 

Observer 9th June 2024: Around 2,900 complaints lodged by deprived Malaysia-bound migrants

Malaysianist 6th June 2024: The fat cat ruling the Malaysian migrant services roost(allegations of systemic corruption involving Malaysia’s migrant worker management systems – click to subscribe)

Business Standard 5th June 2024: Govt to take action over failure in sending workers to Malaysia: PM Hasina

4th June 2024 Daily Star (Op Ed): Break the syndicates, not the dreams of Malaysia-bound workers

SCMP 4th June 2024 – In Malaysia, business and human rights must go hand in hand, UN rights chief says in KL press conference against backdrop of systemic migrant worker abuses

New Straits Times 4th June 2024: Human rights-centric practices essential for foreign investment, says UN

4th June 2024 Business Standard: NHRC orders probe into alleged embezzlement of Tk150cr from Malaysia-bound workers

4th June 2024 Business Standard: 47,809 Bangladeshis flew to Malaysia in May – highest since labour market reopened in 2022

Daily Sun 3rd June: IRREGULARITIES IN MIGRATION TO MALAYSIA – Recruiting agencies never made accountable(good historical summary)

Business Standard 4th June 2024:Dhaka-20, Feni-2 MPs deny allegations of involvement in embezzling money from Malaysia-bound workers

SCMP 3rd June 2024: ‘Nothing left for me’ as thousands of Bangladeshi workers lose everything in failed bid to work in Malaysia

Daily Star Editorial 3rd June 2024: Must our migrants pay the price every time?

Prothomalo 3rd June 2024 – Bangladesh Labour market: Hapless workers lose all vying to go to Malaysia

Daily Sun 3rd June 2024: IRREGULARITIES IN MIGRATION TO MALAYSIA: Recruiting agencies never made accountable

FMT 3rd June 2024: 17,000 Bangladeshi workers stranded, Dhaka pleads for time

Daily Star 3rd June 2024: 16,970 Bangladeshis failed to reach Malaysia for mismanagement, more destitution and modern slavery will result

Daily Star 3rd June 2024 – Bangladeshi Migrant Worker Exploitation and Malaysian Labour Market Alleged Criminal Syndicate: The agencies picked by KL to blame, Bangladesh tells UN OHCHR

Daily Star 2nd June 2024: Controversial recruitment system to stay 3 more years

Daily Star 2nd June – Jobs in Malaysia: Mismanagement left over 3k workers with no ticket to KL

Daily Star 1st June 2024: Must history repeat itself with the Malaysian labour market’s alleged criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshi migrant workers for forced labour

MALAYSIAKINI June 1st 2024: Controversial worker management system BESTINET gets new lease, sources say

1st June 2024 Kalerkantho: Malaysia’s dream ends in deprivation for Bangladeshi migrant workers of criminal syndicate

FMT 31st May 2024: Expect Bangladeshi workers to be stranded and at high risk of modern slavery following Malaysian migration management deadline rush, warns activist

SCMP 31st May 2024: Malaysians shocked by thousands of Bangladeshis crowding at airport to beat deadline for legal work, as UN and activists warn of increased modern slavery risks

CNA 31st May 2024: Over 30,000 workers set to miss deadline to enter Malaysia even as officials clear backlog at KL airport

Prothomalo 31 May 2024 – Bangladesh – Malaysia’s labour market: Repeated syndicates, repeated closure

Prothomalo 31st May 2024: Bangladesh – Thousands of people crowded Dhaka airport without flight tickets to go to Malaysia

31st May 2024 FMT: Govt reaffirms commitment to protect migrant workers’ rights to UN

31st May 2024: The closure of the labor market in Malaysia has shattered the dreams of 31,000 workers

Daily Star 31 May 2024 – Recruitment in Malaysia: Syndicate siphons over $1b out of Bangladesh

Daily Sun 31st May 2024: Biman sends 2,000 migrant workers to Malaysia

Business Standard 31st May 2024: Malaysia-bound workers scammed, stranded at Dhaka airport as deadline set to expire today

Daily Star 30th May 2024: Manpower syndicates beyond Dhaka-KL control

30th May 2024: Comment by Andy Hall, independent migrant worker rights specialist, on ongoing migrant worker management crisis in Malaysia and at KLIA airport today, Bangladeshi workers at high risk of modern slavery

CNA 30th May 2024: ‘Congestion’ at KL airport as employers scramble to bring in thousands of migrant workers before deadline

MALAYSIAKINI 30th May 2023: ‘Migrants influx at KLIA due to employers chasing deadline’

30th May 2024 Benar News: Malaysia’s labor market closed – Migrant workers flock to airports in all countries

29th May Daily Star: Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia – Hiring begins with bribery (UN independent experts say Bangladeshi workers pay up to 8 times for migration alone due to corruption of Malaysia ministries, Bangladesh mission and syndicates)

29th May Daily Star: Airfare to Malaysia surges fivefold

FMT 28th May 2024: Malaysia yet to respond to UN concerns on alleged criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshi migrant victims for forced labour in the country(with my full statement included)

For Immediate Release 27th May 2024: Statement by Andy Hall, Independent Migrant Worker Rights Specialist, on today’s public release of UN OHCHR’s unanswered urgent appeal communications to the Malaysian and Bangladeshi Governments 

30th May Star: Cyclone smashes Bangladeshi workers’ hopes, extension requested

Channel News Asia 25th May 2024: Malaysia’s bid to revamp hiring of foreign workers through controversial BESTINET process faces pushback; activists say country’s reputation at stake

22nd May 2024: UN expert – Malaysian law enforcement mixing up human trafficking, migrant smuggling – “What steps has Malaysia taken to investigate alleged complicity of public officials in human trafficking?’’

20th May 2024 FMT: Duped Bangladeshi workers won’t impact Malaysia’s US Human trafficking report ranking, says HR Minister Sim

Malay Mail 17th May 2024: Pengerang employer to face Labour Court in Malaysia after failing for months to pay Bangladeshi workers’ wages over RM1m (government statements and my comments included – months on, court agreed mediation settlement unforced, workers allegedly remain in situation akin to acute modern slavery)

16th May 2024: Firm that left over 700 Bangladeshi workers to dry in Pengerang facing possible prosecution (months on, court agreed mediation settlement unforced, workers allegedly remain in situation akin to acute modern slavery)

14th May 2024: FMT – Activists warn of US trafficking report downgrade for Malaysia amid UN criticism

May 10th 2024 The Star: Malaysian Government responds to OHCHR, IOM, ILO and UNODC joint condemnation on alleged Bangaldeshi migrant worker criminal syndicate by pledging to set up special unit handling migrant workers’ grievances, says HR Minister Sim

9th May 2024: Study: 96% of Bangladeshi workers going to Malaysia fall into recruitment debt– The study also said that 82% had two or more loans and 73% of workers spent at least 50% to 100% of their monthly salary to repay recruitment debts

4th May 2024: UN agencies concerned over Bangladeshi workers stranded in Malaysia – Joint Statement of ILO, IOM and UNODC on Alleged Criminal Syndicate Trafficking Bangladeshi Workers for Forced Labour in Malaysia

24th April 2024: Address plight of duped Bangladeshi migrant workers in Malaysia in response to UN warning, govt told (more on the ongoing saga of an alleged criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshi migrant workers for forced labour in Malaysia)

19th April 2024: UN (OHCHR) Statement on Alleged Criminal Syndicate Trafficking Bangladeshi Workers for Forced Labour in Malaysia – ‘Malaysia: Bangladeshi workers must be protected from exploitation and criminalisation, say UN experts’

FMT 19th April 2024: UN experts sound alarm over plight of duped Bangladeshi migrants in Malaysia

For more on Andy Hall’s complaint to the OHCHR see 30th Oct 2023: FMT: Andy Hall refers stranded Bangladeshi workers’ plight in Malaysia to UN Human Rights Council

See Daily Star 23rd Apr 2024: Bangladesh Plight of Migrant Workers – Bangladesh, Malaysia working group meeting likely in May

See Daily Star Editorial 23rd Apr 2024: When even legal migrants suffer – Workers migrating to Malaysia legally deserve better protection 

Business Standard 23rd April 2024: Expat Ministry reviews UN complaints on Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia

Prothomalo 23rd April 2024: Bangladesh – Ministry reviewing allegations over Malaysia labour market

BenarNews Malay Language: Pakar PBB gesa Malaysia tangani layanan buruk diterima pekerja Bangladesh (UN expert urges Malaysia to handle bad treatment received by Bangladeshi workers)

Daily Star 19th Apr 2024: UN experts express dismay over situation of Bangladeshi migrants in Malaysia

FMT 19th Apr 2024: PSM, news portal set aside order to stop debate on migrant workers’ plight

Daily Star Editorial 17th April 2024: Save our migrants in Malaysia (more on the crisis caused by an alleged criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshi workers for forced labour in Malaysia)

9th April 2024 The Star – Bangladeshi victims of criminal syndicate trafficking worked for forced labour in Malaysia: ‘Cops after workers, not rogue employers’

7th April 2024: SCMP – As Malaysia’s door closes on low-paid migrant workers, companies scramble for staff (and a systemically corrupt migration management and recruitment policy, devoid of the rule of law and leading to impunity and gross exploitation, is revealed)

6th April 2024 Daily Star: A hostel of nightmares for Bangladeshi migrants allegedly trafficked by criminal syndicate for forced labour in Malaysia (and Daily Star Op Ed)

Daily Star Editorial 6th Apr 2024: What will happen to migrants abandoned in Malaysia?

26th March 2024: The Star – Freeze on foreign workers hiring quota in Malaysia stays for now, says HR Minister (with estimated 200,000+ surplus foreign workforce victims facing destitution and abuse)

25th March 2024: Bangladeshi workers (alleged victims of criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshi workers for forced labour in Malaysia) claim being coerced into withdrawing police and labour complaints

Daily Star 25th Mar: Malaysia employer framed Bangladeshi workers

Daily Star 24th Mar 2024: Jailed in Malaysia – 3 Bangladesh workers released

Editorial Prothomalo 24th Mar 2024: Malaysian labour market – Take action against the fraud syndicate

FMT 23rd March 2024: PSM calls on Sim to look into arrest of Bangladeshi workers

MALAYSIAKINI 23 Mar 2024: Stranded foreign workers (alleged victims of criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshi workers for forced labour in Malaysia) nabbed after labour complaints against employer

23rd March 2024 The Star: Half a million vulnerable and irregular foreign workers disappear from Malaysia’s migrant worker regularization programme as deadline looms in one week

23 Mar 2024 The Star: Verification rate lags as RTK 2.0 deadline approaches

22nd March 2024 Malay Mail: Home minister – Over RM9m in fines collected so far through migrant repatriation programme

22nd March 2024 Protomalo: Malaysian labour market set to be closed again due to syndication

20th March 2024: 93 duped/detained Bangladeshi migrant workers in Malaysia have jobs now, says immigration DG

20th Mar 2024 Business Standard: Bangladeshi workers’ plight in Malaysia: Coalition of migration orgs demand action against recruiting agency syndicate

19th March 2024: FMT – Plantation firms wary of ‘forced labour’ concerns in hiring 200,000 surplus foreign workers/criminal syndicate victims in Malaysia, says minister – indeed he’s right, who wants to take on destitute foreign workers often with US$4-7000 in debt?

17th March 2024: FMT – Malaysia’s treatment of migrant workers utterly shameful

New Age 16th Mar 2024: Bangladeshi government must mend issues to keep Malaysia job market open

15th March 2024 SCMP: Malaysians deride minister’s idea to rebrand palm oil workers as ‘specialised harvesters’

14th March 2024: The Star – Opinion: When work in Malaysia is a con – the criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshis for forced labour in Malaysia

FMT 13th March 2024: Bangladeshi migrants file police reports after falling victim to job scam/criminal syndicate trafficking workers from Bangladesh for forced labour in Malaysia

12th March 2024: SCMP – Malaysia to slash migrant workforce amid intolerance, job scam crisis involving Bangladeshi labourers

FMT 11th Mar 2024: Duped migrant jobseekers, victims of alleged criminal syndicate trafficking Bangaldeshi workers to Malaysia for forced labour, face mental health issues, says Malaysian ex-MP

Daily Star Editorial 10th March 2024: Migrating to a life of unemployment

Daily Star 10th Mar 2024: Distressed in Malaysia – Thousands of Bangladeshi migrants jobless, unpaid or underpaid 

9th March 2024: Malay Mail – Activists warn rushed 31st March visa deadline in Malaysia could force firms to source foreign workers unethically (includes my commentary on the abrupt policy change)

9th Mar 2024 The Star: No extension of May 31 foreign worker deadline

NST 9th Mar 2024: Keep recruitment agencies in a list rather than shutting them down, govt told   

See also NST 9th Mar 2024: Sourcing migrant workers takes time, ‘not like buying cattle’, employer groups tell govt

NST 8th Mar 2024: Eliminate middlemen from migrant worker recruitment process, govt told

Star 8th Mar 2024: May 31 deadline for foreign workers recruitment under recalibration programme remains, says Saifuddin

Malay Mail 8th Mar 2024: Saifuddin Nasution: No more agents for Bangladeshi worker recruitment

6th Mar 2024: Malaysian government halts foreign worker entry into the country from 31st May 2024 (final calling visa/VDN approval issuance deadline 31st March 2024) as migrant worker management crisis worsens and victims of gross exploitation, unemployment and destitution rise significantly

6th March 2024: Business Times –Sudden change in foreign worker policy by Malaysian government leaves industry in limbo

6th Mar 2024 Edge: Foreign worker intake deadline changes will leave manufacturers in the lurch, says FMM

6th Mar 2024 FMT: Industry players shocked by foreign worker policy change, says FMM

Mar 5 2024: NCCIM urges govt to review unused foreign worker quota deadline

4th March 2024 URGENT call for donations/support: joining forces with HOPE SELANGOR to fill gap in providing humanitarian aid and assistance to victims of criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshi workers into forced labour in Malaysia

Mar 3rd 2024: Concern on repatriation of potential trafficking and forced labour/abuse victims under Malaysian Migrant Worker Repatriation Programme Commencing 1st March 2024 (Statement by Andy Hall, Independent Migrant Worker Rights Specialist)

FMT 3rd Mar 2024: Ensure ‘crooks’ do not gain from repatriation programme, says activist

Mar 2nd 2024 The Star: A chance for illegals to go home

Mar 2nd 2024 The Star: Sarawak immigration extends RTK2.0 until June

Mar 1st 2024 FMT: 600,000 foreign workers urged to take easy exit home

Mar 1st 2024 The Star: Use repatriation programme to return home, 600,000 illegals told

Feb 28th 2024 The Star: New programme lets migrants off the hook without being prosecuted

Feb 25th 2024 The Star: Businesses want foreign worker hiring freeze lifted

Jan 31st 2024 NST: Govt to implement Migrant Repatriation Programme starting March

Jan 31st 2024 The Edge: Cabinet agrees to extend freeze on hiring of foreign workers, says home minister 

31st Jan 2024 FMT: Migrant repatriation programme set for March 1

31st Jan 2024 The Star: Migration Repatriation Programme to commence on March 1, says Home Ministry

FMT 6th Jan 2024: 171 duped migrant workers deserve compensation, govt told (includes my full statement)

5th Jan 2024: New Strait Times – MCA: Don’t just fine employers, hold ministry accountable as well for unemployed foreign workers

FMT 30th Dec 2023: Migrants being duped into Malaysia because of govt’s failure to curb criminal trafficking syndicates and organised crime network, says activist Andy Hall

30th Dec 2023: New Strait Times – Recruitment agencies accused of deception as Bangladeshi victims speak out on exploitation and fear

29th Dec 2023: Malay Mail – Set up probe on exploitation of migrant workers and new ministry to manage their affairs, Suhakam tells Putrajaya

28th Dec 2023: FMT – Malaysia has entered ‘slave labour’ territory, says ex-MP – Charles Santiago calls for specific set-ups to manage migrant workers 

27th Dec 2023: New Strait Times – MTUC demand govt, MACC probe into corrupt recruitment practices of foreign workers

26th Dec 2023: FMT – High recruitment fees make greedy agents bring in workers, says group

25th Dec 2023: FMT – Probe recruitment agents, MACC told after arrest of Bangladeshis

22nd Nov 2023: MALAYSIAKINI – Full probe of migrant worker syndicate, Malaysian HR Minister Sivakumar says

9th Nov 2023: Malaysia – The State of the Nation: Flaws of foreign worker system laid bare in declassified report

30th Oct 2023: FMT: Andy Hall refers stranded Bangladeshi workers’ plight in Malaysia to UN Human Rights Council

23rd Oct 2023: RESPONSE FROM THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCES IN REGARDS TO AN ARTICLE BY MR. ANDY HALL/HR Minister – strict actions against employers who fail to comply with Malaysia’s labour and immigration laws

20th Oct 2023 Malaysiakini: Long-awaited foreign worker management report declassified in Malaysia (my comments added)

19th Oct 2023: Malaysia facing huge excess of 1/4 million migrant laborers

21st Sep 2023: Malaysian government has 15 source countries for foreign workers – Comments by Andy Hall

20th Sep 2023: Rate of abused Bangladeshi workers’ entry into Malaysia worrying, says migrant rights activist Andy Hall

12th July 2023: excellent final offering from a 4 part account of atypical modern-day slavery, forced labour and abuse perpetrated against a group of migrant workers from Bangladesh in Malaysia, written concisely and passionately by former MP from Malaysia Charles Santiago

Aljazeera News TV 10th July 2023 – Migrants in Malaysia: Hundreds left stranded in recruitment scam

The post 23rd Jan 2026 Bloomberg World Exclusive on Alleged Criminal Syndicate Trafficking Bangladeshi Workers for Forced Labour in Malaysia | The Big Take: EVERYONE GETS A CUT, AND MIGRANT WORKERS PAY THE PRICE appeared first on Andy Hall.

Sean Augustin

The order bars their employer from deporting them pending a disposal of their civil claim and suit at the industrial court.

PETALING JAYA:

Sourced from: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2025/12/26/bangladeshi-workers-obtain-injunction-against-mould-manufacturer

DONATE NOW: Emergency Appeal – Stop the Forced Repatriation of Migrant Workers in Malaysia. Please support victims of alleged modern slavery and forced labour by making a contribution now, to ensure justice and compensation is achieved. Ensure accountability too.

DONATE AT https://fnd.us/a2fGp7?ref=sh_9EIdS2

Close to 100 Bangladeshi workers for a glove mould manufacturer have obtained an ex parte injunction against their employer to prevent them from being deported, among others, pending the disposal of their civil claim and suit at the industrial court.

High Court judge Haldar Abdul Aziz allowed the workers’ ex parte application against Mediceram Sdn Bhd today.

According to the injunction, Mediceram is also barred from taking any action against the 93 workers, including revoking their work permits or temporary employment visit passes.

“Mediceram is ordered to immediately surrender all original passports and other personal documents belonging to the foreign workers,” the injunction read.

According to a statement of claim filed Dec 22, the Bangladeshi workers alleged that they had their passports held upon arrival by the employer and that they were allegedly mistreated, which subsequently led to protests and strikes.

In some instances it also led to wrongful termination of jobs, they alleged.

According to the statement of claim, the workers are seeking several injunctions, general, exemplary and aggravated damages.

They were represented by lawyers Louis Liaw and Irdina Azira Edzlyzam.

Haldar fixed Jan 7 for the inter partes hearing.

Mediceram had rejected the workers’ allegations as “fabricated claims and scandalous innuendos and negative imputations outrightly”.

ABC News 23rd Nov 2025: 15 Bangladeshi Migrant workers deported from Ansell-linked Malaysian glove factory Mediceram after abuse allegations

By investigative reporter Ben Butler

Sourced from: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11-23/ansell-mediceram-human-rights-abuse-allegations/106039160?utm_source=abc_news_web&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_webManufacturer MediCeram has been accused of human rights abuses by its workers. (Facebook: MediCeram Sdn Bhd)

In short:

A former supplier for the Australian glove company Ansell has fired migrant workers after claims of human rights abuses at its Malaysian factory.

Mould manufacturer MediCeram is accused of abusing the rights of more than 200 Bangladeshi workers, with Ansell suspending its partnership with the company.

MediCeram has denied all allegations and says it is the target of an “unfair” campaign.

A Malaysian factory that makes moulds for Australian glove-maker Ansell has fired migrant workers amid claims of human rights abuses, causing some of them to be deported to Bangladesh.

In a September complaint lodged with the Australian Treasury, which runs a mechanism designed to resolve overseas labour disputes involving Australian companies, activist Andy Hall accused factory operator MediCeram of seriously abusing the rights of more than 200 Bangladeshi workers at the company.

The alleged abuses, which were vehemently denied by MediCeram, included wage theft, forced labour, confiscation of passports and the deportation of more than 30 workers who complained to management. 

Following Mr Hall’s complaint, the workers went on strike, alleging MediCeram had failed to adhere to a deal to repay them for recruitment fees they paid to agents to get their jobs at the Malaysian factory and had failed to renew the visas of more than 90 employees.

In response, MediCeram fired 180 workers, causing some of them to be deported back to Bangladesh.

Ansell suspends partnership following allegations

Ansell, which had been supporting the remediation program, suspended MediCeram as a supplier and publicly expressed its unhappiness with the company.

Ansell has also faced questions both in public at its annual shareholder meeting and behind closed doors from large institutional shareholders.

The ABC can reveal that institutional investor Allan Gray, a company that owns about 15 per cent of Ansell, has been in close contact with the company over the issue.

The first 10 deported Bangladeshi workers arrived home in the country’s capital of Dhaka in front of cameras from at least two TV networks on November 5.

On Thursday this week, another batch of 20 workers who were set to be deported over the weekend visited the Bangladeshi High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, seeking help in delaying their expulsion so they could continue legal action for unfair dismissal in Malaysia.

In a statement, the workers said Deputy High Commissioner Mosammat Shahanara Monica told them she would try to postpone the flights by talking to MediCeram, but could not give a guarantee she would succeed.

The ABC has contacted the deputy high commissioner for comment regarding the outcome.

MediCeram boss claims ‘unfair’ activist-led campaign

MediCeram’s chairman, Arumugam Suppiah, could not be reached for comment about the latest allegations.

He previously told the ABC Mr Hall’s campaign against the company was “unfair, and intimidation by the so-called labour activist”.

“Ansell is a respectable company and MediCeram has complied with all local rules,” Mr Suppiah said.

“All the allegations can be refuted with supporting documents.”

In response to questions at the Ansell annual shareholder meeting on October 29, chairman Nigel Gerrard said labour rights in Asia were “not an easy situation”.

He said the company was one of the first to commit to repaying recruitment fees and, since 2019, had refunded 20,000 workers.

“Unfortunately, I think Ansell is sometimes unfairly positioned,” he said.

“We’re not happy with what happened at MediCeram.

“We are absolutely determined that that 20,000 will continue until everyone has been repaid.”

Ansell previously supported MediCeram’s remediation program by ordering and paying for glove moulds ahead of time so that the Malaysian company could fund payments to workers.

But the relationship fell apart on October 31 when MediCeram sacked its Bangladeshi workforce.

On November 5, Ansell told the ABC it had suspended purchases from MediCeram, saying it was “surprised” by the sackings.

“We promptly expressed our clear view to MediCeram that this was not an appropriate course of action in the circumstances,” a spokesperson said.

“In the absence of any willingness by MediCeram to reconsider, Ansell has made the decision to suspend its supplier relationship with the company.”

Shareholder activist highlights history of complaints

The shareholder activist who asked Mr Gerrard about labour rights at the AGM, Ron Guy, told the ABC that Ansell’s systems to prevent abuse in its supply chain were not working.

He pointed to Ansell’s previous difficulties in preventing worker abuse in its supply chain.

A previous complaint to Treasury made by union IndustriALL, alleging workers at Ansell factories in Sri Lanka and Malaysia were coerced into agreeing to unsafe working conditions and suffered significant health issues from workplace contamination, was settled in 2017. Ansell denied the allegations.

“These things keep popping up, so obviously something’s failing with their procedures,” said Mr Guy, a member of a regional trades union human rights shareholder group.

He said the MediCeram workers deserved a fair chance to put their case before the courts in Malaysia.

“They’ve paid a small fortune, they’ve probably got their families together to collect all the money for them to work,” he said.

“They haven’t been paid properly, they’ve had their passports taken and now they’re going to be deported.”

21st Nov Green Left AUS: Bangladeshi workers (alleged forced labour victims) in Ansell’s supply chain (Mediceram, Malaysia) face deportation

• Ron Guy

November 21, 2025, Issue 1443, News

Migrant rights activists allege Ansell, which manufactures personal protective equipment in more than 100 countries, is not doing enough to ensure its supply chain companies treat their workers fairly.

Sourced from: https://www.greenleft.org.au/2025/1443/news/bangladeshi-workers-ansells-supply-chain-face-deportation

Human rights activists are demanding the Australian-based Ansell take steps to prevent the forced repatriation of Bangladeshi workers from Ansell’s contractor, Mediceram, in Malaysia.

Twenty six Bangladeshi workers in a glove mould factory in Negeri Sembilan received tickets from Mediceram on November 18 for flights to Dhaka on November 22-23.

See also Complaint lodged against Ansell’s treatment of foreign workers (Green Left 15th Nov)

None want to return to Bangladesh because a conciliation hearing to contest their unfair dismissal and visa cancellations is set down for next week.

The workers have requested a new employer, rather than repatriation, so they can continue to work in Malaysia. However, Malaysian regulations do not allow foreign workers to change employer, even in cases of serious workplace abuse.

Employers can, however, consent to workers changing their boss. But Mediceram is refusing to agree, instead cancelling the workers’ visas after dismissing them over a work stoppage it had consented to.

The affected workers travelled to the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur on November 19 to request help to move from Mediceram’s accommodation to a safe house and avoid the deportation. They were denied assistance.

One hundred and eighty former Mediceram workers, who were unfairly dismissed in late October, allege they paid large sums of money to work in Malaysia, only to have their passports withheld, permits not renewed, while being forced to live crowded and sub-standard accommodation.

They also allege wage theft, unrealistic targets and bullying and violence. The workers’ leaders have been dismissed, had their visas cancelled and face deportation.

Time is running out for these workers as their legal avenues of redress close up.

“These workers have families and communities in Bangladesh who depend on them. Empty stomachs and no education for their families should not be used as a weapon by contract companies within the Ansell supply chain,”  Andy Hall, a migrant worker rights activist, told Green Left.

Slavery was abolished in 1833 in the British Empire, but it took until 2018 for Australia to introduce the Modern Slavery Act.Mediceram workers protest earlier in 2025 against injustice

Ansell claims to carry out its business in line with Australian environmental, social and governance standards and modern anti-slavery laws. Yet, its global supply chains maintain slave-like conditions.

Australian corporations must report annually if there has been any indication of slavery in their business. Importantly, they should have a duty to prevent and remediate modern-day slavery.

Corporations should be legally required to investigate and address concerns about forced labour in their supply chains, or face the consequences. 

Unions also need to ensure that industry superannuation funds are not benefiting from enslavement practices. Coles was embarrassed by the United Workers Union (UWU) in 2019 over migrant worker abuse. It led to management, together with unions, to work together to address problems.

If it is unacceptable for Australian workers to be mistreated, the same rules must apply to companies with supply chains in the Asia-Pacific. The recent Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) complaint against Ansell over Mediceram highlights the challenge.

The affected Bangladeshi workers have no remedy in Australia beyond a drawn-out, involuntary and unenforceable OECD complaints process, in which Hall is supporting them.

Complaints about global supply chains mistreating their workers take too long to be resolved. Unions should push federal Labor, via their superannuation funds, to give the Modern Slavery Act real teeth so that any supply chain company which effectively enslaves its workers must be bought to justice.

Daily Star 15th Nov 2025: Bangladeshi High Commission to Mediceram – ‘Reinstate 170 workers’ in Ansell global gloves supply chain alleged forced labour case in Malaysia 

Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia writes to Mediceram 

DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT

Sourced from https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/diplomacy/news/reinstate-170-workers-4035261

Sat Nov 15, 2025

Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia has formally written to Mediceram, requesting the company to reinstate more than 170 migrants dismissed on October 31 and to thoroughly review the workers’ allegations.

The high commission made the statement on its Facebook page yesterday, two days after Ansell Limited — the Australia-based buying company — announced it had suspended its relationship with Mediceram, a small Malaysian supplier of ceramic formers.

Mediceram terminated 177 Bangladeshi workers on October 31 after they protested the non-renewal of work visas for more than 90 migrants.

In early November, Malaysian authorities deported 16 of the workers after Mediceram allegedly forced them to the airport.

Upon returning home, the workers formed human chains in Dhaka and Cumilla and submitted a letter to Expatriates’ Welfare Adviser Prof Asif Nazrul, seeking justice over the forced deportation.

Each migrant had spent between Tk 450,000 and Tk 600,000 to migrate to Malaysia. Many received irregular and low wages, and several had their work permits left unrenewed.

The high commission said it contacted the company’s chairman and the workers after receiving the termination notices, offering cooperation to resolve the issue peacefully. It held several rounds of discussions with both sides.

Following the restructuring of the company’s management, several positive measures improved working conditions, but some disputes remained.

In response to the High Commission’s request, Mediceram has expressed willingness to resolve the issue quickly and agreed to reinstate the striking workers immediately, subject to their return to work and clearance from Malaysian immigration.Bangladeshi workers who were employed by Malaysian companies hold banners during a protest in front of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment demanding unpaid wages, fair compensation and an end to alleged abuse by Malaysian soldiers employers, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monday, Nov. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu)

BHRRC Malaysia: Bangladeshi workers employed by glove co. Mediceram supplying to major multinationals protest alleged rights abuses & forced deportations; incl. cos. responses

On November 4, Mediceram executives dragged us onto a bus to the airport. We were literally crying.

Bangladeshi worker employed by Mediceram

In November 2025, it was reported that 180 Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia were allegedly dismissed by the Malaysian glove manufacturer Mediceram at the end of October after they protested the non-renewal of many of their visas. Mediceram – a glove manufacturer – allegedly supplies to major multinationals including Ansell, YTY and Top Glove.

Ten of the Bangladeshi workers allegedly were then deported after being “forcibly” taken to the airport by Mediceram executives, and an additional six were deported later in November, according to The Daily Star. The remaining workers were allegedly threatened with deportation by the company. Later in November, around 150 of the workers wrote an ‘open letter’ protesting the forced repatriations and urging intervention in the case. The open letter calls for the workers to be transferred to a new employer.

The allegations follow previous reporting of labour rights violations at Mediceram, including wage theft and recruitment fee charging. Reporting says that, while Mediceram refunded the workers’ recruitment fees, the workers’ visas remained expired, which led to repeated protests throughout the year.

According to reporting by ABC News in September 2025, a complaint was lodged with the federal Treasury in Australia (which runs the Australian National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct) against buyer Ansell, alleging a range of abuses at Mediceram, including wage theft, debt bondage and forced labour. Ansell told ABC Newsthat it investigated the allegations and “identified a number of issues that did not meet international labour standards”. Mediceram denied the allegations.

In November 2025, the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited Mediceram, Top Glove, YTY and Ansell to respond to the allegations of dismissal and forced deportations, and to disclose the steps they have taken to investigate and remedy workers for the abuse reported. We also invited the buyers to disclose any human rights due diligence they undertake prior to entering into contracts with suppliers and when monitoring working conditions at suppliers. Responses from Mediceram, Ansell, Top Glove and YTY can be read below.

Later in November, several news outlets reported that around 100 workers employed by Mediceram and another Malaysian company, Kawaguchi Manufacturing, protested in Kuala Lumpur demanding unpaid wages, fair compensation and an end to labour rights abuse (The Associated Press could not immediately reach the companies for comment – see more on abuses at Kawaguchi Manufacturing here, including responses from the buyers).l

It was also reported that Ansell suspended its relationship with Mediceram (see Ansell’s press release here), and that the workers have filed a police complaint against Mediceram.

Company Responses

YTY Industries View Response

Ansell View Response

Top Glove View Response

MediCeram View Response

Timeline

• Daily Star 16 Nov 2025 – Bangladeshi workers file police reports against Malaysian company
• Daily Star 15 Nov 2025 – ‘Reinstate 170 workers’
• YTY response re- alleged labour rights abuses at Mediceram
• Ansell response re- alleged labour rights abuses at Mediceram
• Top Glove’s response re-alleged labour rights abuses at Mediceram
• Mediceram response re- alleged labour rights abuses of Bangladeshi employees
• Associated Press 10th Nov 2025 – Bangladeshi workers protest in Malaysia over unpaid wages and mistreatment claims
• Daily Star 8th Nov 2025 – 152 Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia protest forced repatriation
• Daily Star 6th Nov 2025 – Dream turns into despair for 10 deported migrants
• Around 190 Bangladeshi Migrant Workers at Mediceram Dismissed for Demanding Fair and Dignified Working Conditions
• Daily Star 3rd Nov 2025 – Malaysia’s Mediceram sends back 10 Bangladeshis
• ABC 10th Sept 2025 – Australian glove-maker Ansell accused of exploiting workers at Malaysian factory of supplier, MediCeram

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14th Nov 2025 Bangaldeshi High Commission KL Statement on Mediceram: Bangladeshi workers protest with Malaysian Mediceram company

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Green Left 15th Nov 2025: Complaint lodged against Ansell’s treatment of foreign workers

• Kerry Smith

Naarm/Melbourne

November 15, 2025, Issue 1443, News

Many Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia face discrimination, including those working for Ansell subsidiaries.

Read full story at: https://www.greenleft.org.au/2025/1443/news/complaint-lodged-against-ansells-treatment-foreign-workers

Migrant worker rights activist Andy Hall has lodged a complaint to the Australian government about Mediceram’s, Ansell’s Malaysian supplier, treatment of its workers.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) complaint came to light at Ansell’s annual general meeting on October 29 in Naarm/Melbourne.

Ansell’s performance has been tainted by a perceived lack of due diligence in its supply chain.

Regional Trade Unions Human Rights Shareholder Group representative Ron Guy, who is also a member of the Ballarat Regional Trades and Labour Council, asked Ansell chair Nigel Garrard about the cost of fighting paying compensation to complainants in another case connected to an Ansell supplier. Garrard replied that doing business in Asia was difficult.

Hall’s OECD application alleged Ansell had failed in its due diligence. Foreign workers, many from Bangladesh, suffer threats and bullying, delayed wages and poor living conditions.

They allege their passports were taken and, without work permit renewals, they became “illegal”. Focus Malaysia reported on November 12 that 15 Bangladeshi workers were forced to return home from Malaysia because they demanded permit renewals and payment for former workers. The Migrant Welfare Network, based in Malaysia and Bangladesh, alleges that 400 affected workers from Mediceram and Kawaguchi Manufacturing were still owed wages.

Hall and his team, who have been campaigning against modern-day slavery, are being accused of corruption by Ansell’s PR firm Sefiani. Instead of focusing on illuminating modern day slavery, its strategy is to discredit the messenger. 

Ansell said on November 12 it had suspended its relationship with Mediceram and that it was paying out more than US$1 million to workers “ahead of originally agreed timelines”. It said it was “surprised” that Mediceram had terminated 177 foreign workers.

As Australia’s superannuation funds continue to grow, much of it coming from union members, the expectation must be that profits are not derived from modern-day slavery or genocide.

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Daily Star 14th Nov 2025: Ansell cuts ties with Malaysian Mediceram firm

DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT

Fri Nov 14, 2025

Australian buying company, Ansell Limited, has suspended its relationship with Malaysian company Mediceram, which has recently terminated 177 Bangladeshi workers and deported some of them under coercion, said Ansell in a statement on its website on November 12.

Mediceram, supplier of ceramic formers, on October 31, terminated the workers for staging protests against non-renewal of about 90 migrants.Workers in tears during forceful deportations at Mediceram

These workers had migrated to Malaysia in 2023 but got irregular or no pay, while their work permits were not renewed on time.

In last August, Mediceram entered into a remediation agreement with its workers following concerns raised by its customers including Ansell.

Ansell said progress has been made in implementing this agreement, with more than $1 million in recruitment fees reimbursed to current workers ahead of originally agreed timelines, supported by favourable trading terms provided by Ansell.

“Ansell was therefore surprised to be informed on October 31 that Mediceram had terminated 177 foreign workers on the grounds of their refusal to work,” it said.

“In the absence of any willingness by Mediceram to reconsider, Ansell informed Mediceram on November 4, 2025 that Ansell is suspending its supplier relationship with the company.”

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12th Nov 2025: ANSELL (AUSTRALIA) SUSPENDS SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIP WITH MEDICERAM MALAYSIA OVER UNFAIR DISMISSALS AND FORCED DEPORTATION OF ALLEGED BANGLADESHI FORCED LABOUR VICTIMS

Ansell Mediceram Release 12Nov25.pdfDownload

Richmond, VIC – 12 November 2025 – Ansell Limited (ASX: ANN) a global leader in protection solutions, announced it has suspended its relationship with Mediceram, a small Malaysian supplier of ceramic formers. The suspension stems from concerns about deteriorating relations between Mediceram and its foreign workers, following repeated strike actions over issues including the renewal of work visas, which remain pending with the relevant Malaysian immigration and labour authorities.

As advised in a statement last August, Mediceram entered into a remediation agreement with its workers following concerns raised by its customers including Ansell.

Progress has been made in implementing this agreement, with more than USD 1 million in recruitment fees reimbursed to current workers ahead of originally agreed timelines, supported by favourable trading terms provided by Ansell.

Ansell was therefore surprised to be informed on 31 October that Mediceram had terminated 177 foreign workers on the grounds of their refusal to work. We promptly expressed our clear view to Mediceram that this was not an appropriate course of action in these circumstances. In the absence of any willingness by Mediceram to reconsider, Ansell informed Mediceram on 4 November 2025 that Ansell is suspending its supplier relationship with the company.

Ansell will continue to engage with Mediceram on the conditions necessary for Ansell to consider reinstating the supplier relationship. These include Mediceram completing all outstanding matters in the remediation program swiftly and structurally and demonstrating a sustained commitment to safeguarding worker welfare, and ensuring all workers, particularly those terminated and awaiting repatriation, have sufficient financial support to cover living costs.

We recognise that this situation has raised concerns, and we are aware of conflicting statements regarding representation of workers’ interests that may be influencing the dialogue between Mediceram workers and management. Ansell will not engage in speculation or commentary on matters beyond our direct involvement. Our priority remains supporting constructive conversations, ensuring fair treatment, and working toward a positive resolution of outstanding issues.

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Associated Press World News 10th Nov 2025: Bangladeshi workers protest over unpaid wages and mistreatment claims in Malaysian global supply chain factories (today’s Dhaka human chain protest summaries)

WORLD NEWS

BY  JULHAS ALAM

November 10, 2025

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — About 100 Bangladeshi workers who were employed by Malaysian companies rallied Monday to demand unpaid wages, fair compensation and an end to alleged abuse by Malaysian employers.

The Migrant Welfare Network, a Bangladeshi migrant group based in Malaysia and Bangladesh, organized the protest at the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka.

The Associated Press could not immediately reach the companies for comment.

The demonstrators said the event was organized to protest what they say is widespread mistreatment of migrant workers in Malaysia, one of Southeast Asia’s richest nations. They demanded unpaid wage support and compensation for 431 Bangladeshi workers they said were exploited by two Malaysian companies, Mediceram and Kawaguchi Manufacturing.

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The exploitation of migrant workers: Mediceram and Kawaguchi – a case of insufficient enforcement?

By K. Veeriah

“About 100 Bangladesh workers who were employed by Malaysian companies rallied Monday to demand unpaid wages, for fair compensation and an end to alleged abuse by Malaysian employers” — Associated Press World News, Nov 10, 2025

See also Daily Star 11th Nov 2025: Deported workers call for justice

PRESS RELEASE MWN EN 10th NovDownload

Press Release MWN (Bangladeshi version) 10th NovDownload

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Many factories in Malaysia and other Southeast Asia countries rely on migrant workers, often from Bangladesh, Myanmar and Nepal, to fill labor-intensive jobs in manufacturing, plantations or construction. Local workers usually avoid such jobs because of their poor conditions and low wages.

The Migrant Welfare Network urged Bangladeshi and Malaysian authorities and international buyers to take immediate action to ensure workers receive wages already owed, fair compensation and “justice for systemic abuses.”

The group said in statement Monday that a complaint claiming forced labor and neglect has been filed with the Malaysian government against Australian company Ansell, a major customer of Mediceram, which manufactures gloves for medical, industrial and domestic use.

A separate complaint was filed against Kawaguchi, which supplied plastic components to large Japanese companies, including Sony Group.

In May, around 280 Bangladeshi migrant workers for Kawaguchi demanded hundreds of thousands of dollars in back wages and other money owed to them after the company closed five months earlier.

Workers at Kawaguchi’s factory in Port Klang filed complaints in Malaysia and Bangladesh claiming the company withheld their wages for up to eight months before closing after Sony and Panasonic Holdings Corp., two of Kawaguchi’s main customers, halted orders in response to allegations the workers were mistreated.

“In the beginning, they used to pay the salary in parts, meaning they would give 500–1000 ringgit (about $120-$240) per month as food expenses,” said former Kawaguchi employee Omar Faruk, who began working for the manufacturer in 2022. “After withholding the salary, the company started considering shutting down. Later, we filed a complaint at the Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia.”

Harun Or Rasid Liton, who worked at Mediceram, accused the company of not paying despite an order by the Malaysian Labor Court.

“The court ruled that the company would pay us 1,000 ringgit per month, but the company paid only the first installment and then stopped paying,” he said. “Later, we had no choice but to return to Bangladesh. Now we are facing severe hardship in maintaining our families.”

There have been widespread reports of abuse of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia and disputes between employees and companies have become a diplomatic sore point between Bangladesh and Malaysia. Workers’ rights groups have demanded stringent scrutiny on the powerful group of recruitment agencies and middlemen who monopolize such jobs.

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Photos and videos from 10th Nov innovative and impressive human chain event in Dhaka – youth power against injustice, corruption and exploitation https://www.facebook.com/share/v/16k3YYDWaz/?mibextid=wwXIfr

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PRESS RELEASE 10th November, 2025 Bangladeshi Migrant Workers Demand Justice Over Exploitation in Malaysia 

Today, the Migrant Welfare Network (MWN)—a Bangladeshi migrant network based in Malaysia and Bangladesh— organised a human chain and press conference in front of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment.

The event aimed to demand urgent support for 431 Bangladeshi workers exploited by two Malaysian companies, Mediceram Sdn. Bhd. and Kawaguchi Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd., and to draw attention to the widespread mistreatment of migrant workers in Malaysia.

MWN calls on Bangladeshi and Malaysian authorities, as well as international buyers, to take immediate action to ensure workers receive all owed wages, fair compensation, and justice for systemic abuses. We also urge the media, activists, rights community, and other relevant stakeholders to give this matter immediate attention. The Bangladeshi High Commission in Malaysia and the Expatriates Ministry in Dhaka have failed to protect victims of modern slavery, instead creating an environment of retaliation following their involvement.

Brief overview of the cases:

1. Mediceram Sdn. Bhd.: Workers suffered for years from late wages, threats, bullying, and poor living conditions. When their passports were taken, they became isolated. Without work permit renewals, many have become illegal. This is forced labour and modern slavery. The company did refund recruitment fees after several strikes and external pressures, but in 1st week of November 2025, 15 workers were forced to return home because they demanded permit renewals and repayment for former workers. Worker leaders elected by workers were deported in clear retaliation, with one escaping by fleeing. An OECD complaint has been filed against the Australian company Ansell, a major buyer from Mediceram, about forced labour and neglect. Conditions of the Bangladeshi workers at Mediceram are getting worse.
2. Kawaguchi Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd.: This company was a major supplier for global brands such as Sony, Panasonic, and Daikin. Workers paid high recruitment fees and experienced wage payment irregularities starting in 2022, with their salaries going entirely unpaid for seven months as of September 2024. After facing months of hardship and strikes, 308 Bangladeshi workers were reimbursed by the above-mentioned buyers for recruitment fees and compensation for their hardship. However, their unpaid wages remained outstanding even after the Malaysian authority (JTK) issued a consent order following a settlement meeting between the workers, JTK, and Kawaguchi management on 24th December 2024. The Taiwanese owner of Kawaguchi still owes 3 million RM to 251 migrant workers, yet the company was officially closed without settling this debt, highlighting a significant failure of the Malaysian system.

Demands: 1. Immediate compensation for Mediceram workers who were forcibly deported for demanding work permit renewal and recruitment fee reimbursement for their colleagues. 2. Stop forced deportations immediately and assist with transferring from Mediceram to a responsible employer through the legal process. 2 3. Immediate ban on Mediceram and its owner, Mr Arumugam Suppiah Datu and his companies from hiring any more Bangladeshi workers in future. 4. Ensure that all former Kawaguchi workers receive their pending wages in accordance with the JTK consent order, and that former Mediceram workers are reimbursed for their recruitment fees. 5. We call for a reformation of the performance of the Bangladeshi High Commission, KL, in line with the genuine needs of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia, who are suffering in large numbers. 6. We call for comprehensive reform of Bangladesh’s recruitment and migration system so that safeguarding migrant workers’ rights becomes the central focus, rather than prioritising remittance generation. 7. We call for complete transparency and systemic support from international buyers to ensure the protection of migrant workers’ rights.

The Migrant Welfare Network (MWN) highlights and emphasises that “these workers have built Malaysia’s industries and supported Bangladesh’s economy through their remittances. They deserve justice—not deportation, debt, or threat.”

Nironjan, a Mediceram Workers Committee member recently deported, said: “We requested our rights as humans but were treated as second-class humans, even as animals. Our demands for salaries and recruitment fee refunds led to harassment. When we asked for legal status and reimbursement for friends, we were threatened and forced onto flights. Speaking up results in deportation, and after mass dismissals, we’re barred from seeking new employment. We have decided to keep appealing to authorities, media, activists and the public for justice.”

Omar Faruq, a former Kawaguchi worker forced to leave Malaysia due to the uncertain RTK system, said: “We suffered passport confiscation and unpaid salaries for over seven months, leaving us hungry and desperate. Our appeals to authorities brought no help. Our wages still remain unpaid as the company closed without settlement. Thousands of migrant workers face similar hardship in Malaysia. Complete reform is needed.”

Media References: ABC News (Australia): “Australian glove-maker Ansell accused of exploiting workers” (Sept 2025). Click for news link The Daily Star (Bangladesh): “Dream turns into despair for deported Mediceram workers” (6 Nov 2025). Click for news link AP News: “Migrant workers from Kawaguchi seek unpaid wages, partial repayments arranged” (May 2025). Click for news link

Contact: Migrant Welfare Network (MWN): mw.org2025@gmail.comor +8801622125270 Nironjan, Mediceram Workers Representative: +880 1938962947Omar Faruq, Kawaguchi Workers Representative: +880 1620785039 Thank you for your attention and participation!

Past Mediceram Stories 

Daily Star 17th Nov 2025: Bangladeshi workers (alleged forced labour victims) file police reports against Malaysia’s Mediceram glove company (Ansell’s global supply chain)

Daily Star 15th Nov 2025: Bangladeshi High Commission to Mediceram – ‘Reinstate 170 workers’ in Ansell global gloves supply chain alleged forced labour case in Malaysia 

Daily Star 8th Nov 2025:152 Bangladeshi workers at Mediceram in Malaysia (Ansell gloves global supply chain) protest forced repatriation, appoint legal counsel 

Daily Star 6th Nov 2025: Dream turns into despair for 10 deported Bangladeshi migrants from Mediceram in Malaysia (Ansell/YTY gloves supply chain factory)

Daily Star 5th Nov 2025: Malaysia’s Mediceram, in Ansell’s global gloves supply chain, forcibly and involuntarily sends back 10 Bangladeshis

Daily Star 4th Nov 2025: MEDICERAM IN MALAYSIA – 190 Bangladeshis in Ansell global gloves supply chain fired for protesting exploitation

Statement for Immediate Release 3rd Nov 2025: Around 190 Bangladeshi Migrant Workers at Mediceram Dismissed for Demanding Fair and Dignified Working Conditions

PSM statement 3rd Nov 2025: 180 Migrant Workers laid off simply for demanding fair employment rights and safe environment

31st Oct 2025: Malaysia’s Mediceram, Supplier to Global Gloves Industry including Ansell, YTY and Top Glove, Allegedly Terminates All 180 Bangladeshi Foreign Workers, Alleged Victims of Forced Labour, and Moves to Force Repatriation to Bangladesh

YTY/Mediceram statement 9th Sept 2025: Former Supplier Update

2nd July 2025 FMT: Workers at glove mould producer Mediceram back at work after successful talks

FMT 25th May 2025: Malaysian mould manufacturer Mediceram sets up task force to resolve worker grievances following Bangladeshi migrant workers successful strike to address alleged forced labour conditions

FMT 19th May 2025: Malaysia’s Mediceram Glove Factory (supplying brands and buyers like Ansell, YTY, Top Glove) threatened to deport 60 Bangladeshi migrants amid strike, says activist

Daily Star 18th May 2025 – Bangladeshi Migrant Worker at Mediceram Sdn Bhd Glove Company in Malaysia (supplying Ansell, YTY, Top Glove and other local and global gloves brands) faces deportation after speaking up on modern slavery and forced labour allegations

FMT 15th May 2025: Bangladeshi foreign workers in alleged situation of forced labour threaten to go on strike again at mould-making plant Mediceram

Daily Star 15th May 2025: Migration – ‘Contact me if you face any trouble’ – Asif Nazrul tells Mediceram migrant workers in Malaysia

FMT 28th Mar 2025: Glove maker YTY says Malaysian ceramic mould supplier Mediceram may be involved in forced labour practices

28th Mar 2025: YTY Gloves Group Statement on Mediceram (Malaysian Ceramics Glove Former Supplier) Forced Labour Allegations 

FMT 8th Mar 2025: Workers at glove mould-making plant in Malaysia, supplying leading domestic and international gloves companies, not paid for 3 months, claims activist (another alleged Malaysian modern slavery related case)

Past Related Malaysian Gloves and Modern Slavery Related Stories 

26th Sept 2024: Former Malaysian gloves plant workers sue Kimberly-Clark. They allege abuse at company’s supplier Brightway

20th Sep 2023: CBP modifies withhold release order against Supermax Corporation Bhd. and its subsidiaries

26th Feb 2023: Malaysian glovemakers must show ‘no forced labour’ to sell to UK’s National Health Service.

August 18 2022: Migrant workers at Malaysian glove maker Brightway Holdings file US lawsuit against Kimberly-Clark Corp & Ansell, accusing them of “knowingly profiting” from alleged use of forced labour

August 12 2022: Full case submission now available online for the former Brightway Gloves (Malaysia) Bangladeshi workers US court case claims related to forced labour against Ansell and Kimberly Clark Corporation (KCC)

10th August 2022 Reuters: Ex-workers at Malaysian supplier sue Kimberly-Clark, Ansell over alleged labour abuse

10th August 2022: Ansell and Kimberly-Clark Sued in US Federal Court by Trafficking and Forced Labor Victims from Malaysian Glove Company

16th June 2022: My comment on Norway wealth fund putting Malaysia’s Supermax Corp under observation.

The Diplomat, April 4, 2022 – After Pressure, Growing Transparency in Malaysia’s Glove Industry

8th Feb 2022: Malaysia’s scandal-hit Supermax pays $6 million in compensation to migrant workers.

28th Dec 2021 Reuters: Ansell halts orders from Malaysian glove maker Brightway after US ban 

The Sydney Morning Herald, December 21, 2021 – Gloves off: Ansell under fire over “modern slavery” at Malaysian supplier 

20th Dec 2021 Reuters: U.S. Customs bans fifth Malaysian glove maker Brightway over alleged forced labour

14th September 2021 – The Diplomat: Debt Bondage Payouts Flow to Workers in Malaysia’s Glove Industry 

Reuters, September 10, 2021 – U.S. lifts import ban on Malaysia’s Top Glove over forced labour concerns

VOA, July 7, 2021 – Forced Labor Rising in Malaysia’s Rubber Glove Factories, Study Shows

Reuters, May 29, 2021: U.S. probes two Malaysian glove makers over forced labour allegations – report Reuters

20th May 2021 Reuters Insight: ‘Slavery’ found at a Malaysian glove factory. Why didn’t the auditor see it?

The Guardian, March 30, 2021 – US bars rubber gloves from Malaysian from due to ‘evidence of forced labour’

CNN, March 30, 2021 – US will seize all Top Glove imports after finding ‘sufficient evidence’ of forced labour

Reuters, March 30, 2021 – U.S. Customs says forced labour used at Malaysia’s Top Glove, to seize gloves

28th Dec 2020 Malay Mail: Human Resources Ministry – Brightway Holdings, two subsidiaries to face 30 charges over workers accommodation

21st Dec 2020: Malaysia: Hundreds of migrant workers subject to “squalid” onsite living conditions at glove manufacturers owned by Brightway Holdings; Incl. buyer responses

VOA, November 19, 2020 – After US Sanctions, Malaysia Migrant Workers Get Millions in Restitution from Glove Makers

CNN, September 11, 2020 – The world’s top suppliers of disposable gloves are thriving because of the pandemic. Their workers aren’t

VOA, July 17, 2020 – US Bars Imports from Top Rubber Glove Maker Amid COVID Surge

Newsroom, July 28, 2020 – Are your disposable gloves made using forced labour?

Reuters, July 16, 2020 – Amid virus crisis, U.S. bars imports of Malaysia’s Top Glove over labour issues

Associated Press (AP), March 4, 2020 – Key medical glove factories cutting staff 50% amid virus

VOA, October 11, 2019 – US Ban on Malaysian Glove Maker Highlights ‘Systemic’ Labor Abuse

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Why Human Rights Matter to Business?

Risky Business with Darian McBain: Asia

15th January 2024

Why Human Rights Matter to Business with Darian McBain – Interview with Andy Hall – Migrant Worker Rights Specialist

Asian business is changing. Customer demands, government regulations, stakeholder expectations, they are all evolving under the pressure of the environmental crisis. And even the most robust business models are starting to show cracks. But it’s through those cracks that opportunities arrive.

Do you know how to navigate this new normal?

Andy Hall is a human rights defender, a researcher/investigator and activist, and an independent specialist on migrant worker rights.

In this episode of Risky Business, Andy talks about how he uncovered – and helped to tackle – the problem of labour rights abuses in Malaysia’s latex glove industry.

Click HERE to listen 

The post FMT 26th Dec 2025: Bangladeshi workers obtain court injunction against mould manufacturer Mediceram (Ansell supplier) in Malaysia appeared first on Andy Hall.

• Ron Guy

November 21, 2025, Issue 1443, News

Migrant rights activists allege Ansell, which manufactures personal protective equipment in more than 100 countries, is not doing enough to ensure its supply chain companies treat their workers fairly.

Sourced from: https://www.greenleft.org.au/2025/1443/news/bangladeshi-workers-ansells-supply-chain-face-deportation

Human rights activists are demanding the Australian-based Ansell take steps to prevent the forced repatriation of Bangladeshi workers from Ansell’s contractor, Mediceram, in Malaysia.

Twenty six Bangladeshi workers in a glove mould factory in Negeri Sembilan received tickets from Mediceram on November 18 for flights to Dhaka on November 22-23.

See also Complaint lodged against Ansell’s treatment of foreign workers (Green Left 15th Nov)

None want to return to Bangladesh because a conciliation hearing to contest their unfair dismissal and visa cancellations is set down for next week.

The workers have requested a new employer, rather than repatriation, so they can continue to work in Malaysia. However, Malaysian regulations do not allow foreign workers to change employer, even in cases of serious workplace abuse.

Employers can, however, consent to workers changing their boss. But Mediceram is refusing to agree, instead cancelling the workers’ visas after dismissing them over a work stoppage it had consented to.

The affected workers travelled to the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur on November 19 to request help to move from Mediceram’s accommodation to a safe house and avoid the deportation. They were denied assistance.

One hundred and eighty former Mediceram workers, who were unfairly dismissed in late October, allege they paid large sums of money to work in Malaysia, only to have their passports withheld, permits not renewed, while being forced to live crowded and sub-standard accommodation.

They also allege wage theft, unrealistic targets and bullying and violence. The workers’ leaders have been dismissed, had their visas cancelled and face deportation.

Time is running out for these workers as their legal avenues of redress close up.

“These workers have families and communities in Bangladesh who depend on them. Empty stomachs and no education for their families should not be used as a weapon by contract companies within the Ansell supply chain,”  Andy Hall, a migrant worker rights activist, told Green Left.

Slavery was abolished in 1833 in the British Empire, but it took until 2018 for Australia to introduce the Modern Slavery Act.

Ansell claims to carry out its business in line with Australian environmental, social and governance standards and modern anti-slavery laws. Yet, its global supply chains maintain slave-like conditions.

Australian corporations must report annually if there has been any indication of slavery in their business. Importantly, they should have a duty to prevent and remediate modern-day slavery.

Corporations should be legally required to investigate and address concerns about forced labour in their supply chains, or face the consequences. 

Unions also need to ensure that industry superannuation funds are not benefiting from enslavement practices. Coles was embarrassed by the United Workers Union (UWU) in 2019 over migrant worker abuse. It led to management, together with unions, to work together to address problems.

If it is unacceptable for Australian workers to be mistreated, the same rules must apply to companies with supply chains in the Asia-Pacific. The recent Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) complaint against Ansell over Mediceram highlights the challenge.

The affected Bangladeshi workers have no remedy in Australia beyond a drawn-out, involuntary and unenforceable OECD complaints process, in which Hall is supporting them.

Complaints about global supply chains mistreating their workers take too long to be resolved. Unions should push federal Labor, via their superannuation funds, to give the Modern Slavery Act real teeth so that any supply chain company which effectively enslaves its workers must be bought to justice.

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Daily Star 17th Nov 2025: Bangladeshi workers (alleged forced labour victims) file police reports against Malaysia’s Mediceram glove company (Ansell’s global supply chain) 

93 workers accuse Mediceram of breaching labor laws 

Sun Nov 16, 2025

Sourced from: https://www.thedailystar.net/around-asia/news/bangladeshi-workers-file-police-reports-against-malaysian-company-4036366

A group of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia has filed police reports against their employer, gloves manufacturer Mediceram, alleging illegal confiscation of passports and failure to renew work permits. The reports were lodged yesterday at the Nelai police station by two migrants on behalf of 93 workers, accusing the company of serious violations of labour laws and breach of contract.

Mediceram terminated 170 workers on October 31 after they staged demonstrations protesting the non-renewal of work permits. Since then, the company has cancelled the visas of 16 workers, prompting Malaysian authorities to deport them to Bangladesh.

The workers, who joined Mediceram in 2023, said they faced months of unpaid or irregular wages and repeated delays in renewing work permits, despite having paid between Tk 4.5 lakh and Tk 6 lakh each to secure employment.

In a significant development, Australian buying company Ansell has suspended its business relationship with Mediceram following the allegations.

Workers described dire conditions at the company’s hostel. “The employer confiscated the passports of 93 workers. This is a violation of labour and immigration law, while also putting us at immigration risk,” one migrant told The Daily Star.

In their police report, the workers requested that Malaysian authorities launch an immediate investigation and that the Ministry of Labour and Human Resources take action against Mediceram. They also demanded that those involved in passport confiscation be brought to justice and called on the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur to provide urgent legal protection.

Daily Star 15th Nov 2025: Bangladeshi High Commission to Mediceram – ‘Reinstate 170 workers’ in Ansell global gloves supply chain alleged forced labour case in Malaysia 

Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia writes to Mediceram 

DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT

Sourced from https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/diplomacy/news/reinstate-170-workers-4035261

Sat Nov 15, 2025

Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia has formally written to Mediceram, requesting the company to reinstate more than 170 migrants dismissed on October 31 and to thoroughly review the workers’ allegations.

The high commission made the statement on its Facebook page yesterday, two days after Ansell Limited — the Australia-based buying company — announced it had suspended its relationship with Mediceram, a small Malaysian supplier of ceramic formers.

Mediceram terminated 177 Bangladeshi workers on October 31 after they protested the non-renewal of work visas for more than 90 migrants.

In early November, Malaysian authorities deported 16 of the workers after Mediceram allegedly forced them to the airport.

Upon returning home, the workers formed human chains in Dhaka and Cumilla and submitted a letter to Expatriates’ Welfare Adviser Prof Asif Nazrul, seeking justice over the forced deportation.

Each migrant had spent between Tk 450,000 and Tk 600,000 to migrate to Malaysia. Many received irregular and low wages, and several had their work permits left unrenewed.

The high commission said it contacted the company’s chairman and the workers after receiving the termination notices, offering cooperation to resolve the issue peacefully. It held several rounds of discussions with both sides.

Following the restructuring of the company’s management, several positive measures improved working conditions, but some disputes remained.

In response to the High Commission’s request, Mediceram has expressed willingness to resolve the issue quickly and agreed to reinstate the striking workers immediately, subject to their return to work and clearance from Malaysian immigration.Bangladeshi workers who were employed by Malaysian companies hold banners during a protest in front of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment demanding unpaid wages, fair compensation and an end to alleged abuse by Malaysian soldiers employers, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monday, Nov. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu)

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BHRRC Malaysia: Bangladeshi workers employed by glove co. Mediceram supplying to major multinationals protest alleged rights abuses & forced deportations; incl. cos. responses

On November 4, Mediceram executives dragged us onto a bus to the airport. We were literally crying.

Bangladeshi worker employed by Mediceram

In November 2025, it was reported that 180 Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia were allegedly dismissed by the Malaysian glove manufacturer Mediceram at the end of October after they protested the non-renewal of many of their visas. Mediceram – a glove manufacturer – allegedly supplies to major multinationals including Ansell, YTY and Top Glove.

Ten of the Bangladeshi workers allegedly were then deported after being “forcibly” taken to the airport by Mediceram executives, and an additional six were deported later in November, according to The Daily Star. The remaining workers were allegedly threatened with deportation by the company. Later in November, around 150 of the workers wrote an ‘open letter’ protesting the forced repatriations and urging intervention in the case. The open letter calls for the workers to be transferred to a new employer.

The allegations follow previous reporting of labour rights violations at Mediceram, including wage theft and recruitment fee charging. Reporting says that, while Mediceram refunded the workers’ recruitment fees, the workers’ visas remained expired, which led to repeated protests throughout the year.

According to reporting by ABC News in September 2025, a complaint was lodged with the federal Treasury in Australia (which runs the Australian National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct) against buyer Ansell, alleging a range of abuses at Mediceram, including wage theft, debt bondage and forced labour. Ansell told ABC Newsthat it investigated the allegations and “identified a number of issues that did not meet international labour standards”. Mediceram denied the allegations.

In November 2025, the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited Mediceram, Top Glove, YTY and Ansell to respond to the allegations of dismissal and forced deportations, and to disclose the steps they have taken to investigate and remedy workers for the abuse reported. We also invited the buyers to disclose any human rights due diligence they undertake prior to entering into contracts with suppliers and when monitoring working conditions at suppliers. Responses from Mediceram, Ansell, Top Glove and YTY can be read below.

Later in November, several news outlets reported that around 100 workers employed by Mediceram and another Malaysian company, Kawaguchi Manufacturing, protested in Kuala Lumpur demanding unpaid wages, fair compensation and an end to labour rights abuse (The Associated Press could not immediately reach the companies for comment – see more on abuses at Kawaguchi Manufacturing here, including responses from the buyers).

It was also reported that Ansell suspended its relationship with Mediceram (see Ansell’s press release here), and that the workers have filed a police complaint against Mediceram.

Company Responses

YTY Industries View Response

Ansell View Response

Top Glove View Response

MediCeram View Response

Timeline

• Daily Star 16 Nov 2025 – Bangladeshi workers file police reports against Malaysian company
• Daily Star 15 Nov 2025 – ‘Reinstate 170 workers’
• YTY response re- alleged labour rights abuses at Mediceram
• Ansell response re- alleged labour rights abuses at Mediceram
• Top Glove’s response re-alleged labour rights abuses at Mediceram
• Mediceram response re- alleged labour rights abuses of Bangladeshi employees
• Associated Press 10th Nov 2025 – Bangladeshi workers protest in Malaysia over unpaid wages and mistreatment claims
• Daily Star 8th Nov 2025 – 152 Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia protest forced repatriation
• Daily Star 6th Nov 2025 – Dream turns into despair for 10 deported migrants
• Around 190 Bangladeshi Migrant Workers at Mediceram Dismissed for Demanding Fair and Dignified Working Conditions
• Daily Star 3rd Nov 2025 – Malaysia’s Mediceram sends back 10 Bangladeshis
• ABC 10th Sept 2025 – Australian glove-maker Ansell accused of exploiting workers at Malaysian factory of supplier, MediCeram

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14th Nov 2025 Bangaldeshi High Commission KL Statement on Mediceram: Bangladeshi workers protest with Malaysian Mediceram company

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Green Left 15th Nov 2025: Complaint lodged against Ansell’s treatment of foreign workers

• Kerry Smith

Naarm/Melbourne

November 15, 2025, Issue 1443, News

Many Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia face discrimination, including those working for Ansell subsidiaries.

Read full story at: https://www.greenleft.org.au/2025/1443/news/complaint-lodged-against-ansells-treatment-foreign-workers

Migrant worker rights activist Andy Hall has lodged a complaint to the Australian government about Mediceram’s, Ansell’s Malaysian supplier, treatment of its workers.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) complaint came to light at Ansell’s annual general meeting on October 29 in Naarm/Melbourne.

Ansell’s performance has been tainted by a perceived lack of due diligence in its supply chain.

Regional Trade Unions Human Rights Shareholder Group representative Ron Guy, who is also a member of the Ballarat Regional Trades and Labour Council, asked Ansell chair Nigel Garrard about the cost of fighting paying compensation to complainants in another case connected to an Ansell supplier. Garrard replied that doing business in Asia was difficult.

Hall’s OECD application alleged Ansell had failed in its due diligence. Foreign workers, many from Bangladesh, suffer threats and bullying, delayed wages and poor living conditions.

They allege their passports were taken and, without work permit renewals, they became “illegal”. Focus Malaysia reported on November 12 that 15 Bangladeshi workers were forced to return home from Malaysia because they demanded permit renewals and payment for former workers. The Migrant Welfare Network, based in Malaysia and Bangladesh, alleges that 400 affected workers from Mediceram and Kawaguchi Manufacturing were still owed wages.

Hall and his team, who have been campaigning against modern-day slavery, are being accused of corruption by Ansell’s PR firm Sefiani. Instead of focusing on illuminating modern day slavery, its strategy is to discredit the messenger.

Ansell said on November 12 it had suspended its relationship with Mediceram and that it was paying out more than US$1 million to workers “ahead of originally agreed timelines”. It said it was “surprised” that Mediceram had terminated 177 foreign workers.

As Australia’s superannuation funds continue to grow, much of it coming from union members, the expectation must be that profits are not derived from modern-day slavery or genocide.

Daily Star 14th Nov 2025: Ansell cuts ties with Malaysian Mediceram firm

DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT

Fri Nov 14, 2025

Australian buying company, Ansell Limited, has suspended its relationship with Malaysian company Mediceram, which has recently terminated 177 Bangladeshi workers and deported some of them under coercion, said Ansell in a statement on its website on November 12.

Mediceram, supplier of ceramic formers, on October 31, terminated the workers for staging protests against non-renewal of about 90 migrants.Workers in tears during forceful deportations at Mediceram

These workers had migrated to Malaysia in 2023 but got irregular or no pay, while their work permits were not renewed on time.

In last August, Mediceram entered into a remediation agreement with its workers following concerns raised by its customers including Ansell.

Ansell said progress has been made in implementing this agreement, with more than $1 million in recruitment fees reimbursed to current workers ahead of originally agreed timelines, supported by favourable trading terms provided by Ansell.

“Ansell was therefore surprised to be informed on October 31 that Mediceram had terminated 177 foreign workers on the grounds of their refusal to work,” it said.

“In the absence of any willingness by Mediceram to reconsider, Ansell informed Mediceram on November 4, 2025 that Ansell is suspending its supplier relationship with the company.”

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12th Nov 2025: ANSELL (AUSTRALIA) SUSPENDS SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIP WITH MEDICERAM MALAYSIA OVER UNFAIR DISMISSALS AND FORCED DEPORTATION OF ALLEGED BANGLADESHI FORCED LABOUR VICTIMS

Ansell Mediceram Release 12Nov25.pdfDownload

Richmond, VIC – 12 November 2025 – Ansell Limited (ASX: ANN) a global leader in protection solutions, announced it has suspended its relationship with Mediceram, a small Malaysian supplier of ceramic formers. The suspension stems from concerns about deteriorating relations between Mediceram and its foreign workers, following repeated strike actions over issues including the renewal of work visas, which remain pending with the relevant Malaysian immigration and labour authorities.

As advised in a statement last August, Mediceram entered into a remediation agreement with its workers following concerns raised by its customers including Ansell.

Progress has been made in implementing this agreement, with more than USD 1 million in recruitment fees reimbursed to current workers ahead of originally agreed timelines, supported by favourable trading terms provided by Ansell.

Ansell was therefore surprised to be informed on 31 October that Mediceram had terminated 177 foreign workers on the grounds of their refusal to work. We promptly expressed our clear view to Mediceram that this was not an appropriate course of action in these circumstances. In the absence of any willingness by Mediceram to reconsider, Ansell informed Mediceram on 4 November 2025 that Ansell is suspending its supplier relationship with the company.

Ansell will continue to engage with Mediceram on the conditions necessary for Ansell to consider reinstating the supplier relationship. These include Mediceram completing all outstanding matters in the remediation program swiftly and structurally and demonstrating a sustained commitment to safeguarding worker welfare, and ensuring all workers, particularly those terminated and awaiting repatriation, have sufficient financial support to cover living costs.

We recognise that this situation has raised concerns, and we are aware of conflicting statements regarding representation of workers’ interests that may be influencing the dialogue between Mediceram workers and management. Ansell will not engage in speculation or commentary on matters beyond our direct involvement. Our priority remains supporting constructive conversations, ensuring fair treatment, and working toward a positive resolution of outstanding issues.

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Associated Press World News 10th Nov 2025: Bangladeshi workers protest over unpaid wages and mistreatment claims in Malaysian global supply chain factories (today’s Dhaka human chain protest summaries)

WORLD NEWS

BY  JULHAS ALAM

November 10, 2025

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — About 100 Bangladeshi workers who were employed by Malaysian companies rallied Monday to demand unpaid wages, fair compensation and an end to alleged abuse by Malaysian employers.

The Migrant Welfare Network, a Bangladeshi migrant group based in Malaysia and Bangladesh, organized the protest at the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka.

The Associated Press could not immediately reach the companies for comment.

The demonstrators said the event was organized to protest what they say is widespread mistreatment of migrant workers in Malaysia, one of Southeast Asia’s richest nations. They demanded unpaid wage support and compensation for 431 Bangladeshi workers they said were exploited by two Malaysian companies, Mediceram and Kawaguchi Manufacturing.

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The exploitation of migrant workers: Mediceram and Kawaguchi – a case of insufficient enforcement?

By K. Veeriah

“About 100 Bangladesh workers who were employed by Malaysian companies rallied Monday to demand unpaid wages, for fair compensation and an end to alleged abuse by Malaysian employers” — Associated Press World News, Nov 10, 2025

See also Daily Star 11th Nov 2025: Deported workers call for justice

PRESS RELEASE MWN EN 10th NovDownload

Press Release MWN (Bangladeshi version) 10th NovDownload

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Many factories in Malaysia and other Southeast Asia countries rely on migrant workers, often from Bangladesh, Myanmar and Nepal, to fill labor-intensive jobs in manufacturing, plantations or construction. Local workers usually avoid such jobs because of their poor conditions and low wages.

The Migrant Welfare Network urged Bangladeshi and Malaysian authorities and international buyers to take immediate action to ensure workers receive wages already owed, fair compensation and “justice for systemic abuses.”

The group said in statement Monday that a complaint claiming forced labor and neglect has been filed with the Malaysian government against Australian company Ansell, a major customer of Mediceram, which manufactures gloves for medical, industrial and domestic use.

A separate complaint was filed against Kawaguchi, which supplied plastic components to large Japanese companies, including Sony Group.

In May, around 280 Bangladeshi migrant workers for Kawaguchi demanded hundreds of thousands of dollars in back wages and other money owed to them after the company closed five months earlier.

Workers at Kawaguchi’s factory in Port Klang filed complaints in Malaysia and Bangladesh claiming the company withheld their wages for up to eight months before closing after Sony and Panasonic Holdings Corp., two of Kawaguchi’s main customers, halted orders in response to allegations the workers were mistreated.

“In the beginning, they used to pay the salary in parts, meaning they would give 500–1000 ringgit (about $120-$240) per month as food expenses,” said former Kawaguchi employee Omar Faruk, who began working for the manufacturer in 2022. “After withholding the salary, the company started considering shutting down. Later, we filed a complaint at the Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia.”

Harun Or Rasid Liton, who worked at Mediceram, accused the company of not paying despite an order by the Malaysian Labor Court.

“The court ruled that the company would pay us 1,000 ringgit per month, but the company paid only the first installment and then stopped paying,” he said. “Later, we had no choice but to return to Bangladesh. Now we are facing severe hardship in maintaining our families.”

There have been widespread reports of abuse of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia and disputes between employees and companies have become a diplomatic sore point between Bangladesh and Malaysia. Workers’ rights groups have demanded stringent scrutiny on the powerful group of recruitment agencies and middlemen who monopolize such jobs.

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Photos and videos from 10th Nov innovative and impressive human chain event in Dhaka – youth power against injustice, corruption and exploitation https://www.facebook.com/share/v/16k3YYDWaz/?mibextid=wwXIfr

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PRESS RELEASE 10th November, 2025 Bangladeshi Migrant Workers Demand Justice Over Exploitation in Malaysia 

Today, the Migrant Welfare Network (MWN)—a Bangladeshi migrant network based in Malaysia and Bangladesh— organised a human chain and press conference in front of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment.

The event aimed to demand urgent support for 431 Bangladeshi workers exploited by two Malaysian companies, Mediceram Sdn. Bhd. and Kawaguchi Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd., and to draw attention to the widespread mistreatment of migrant workers in Malaysia.

MWN calls on Bangladeshi and Malaysian authorities, as well as international buyers, to take immediate action to ensure workers receive all owed wages, fair compensation, and justice for systemic abuses. We also urge the media, activists, rights community, and other relevant stakeholders to give this matter immediate attention. The Bangladeshi High Commission in Malaysia and the Expatriates Ministry in Dhaka have failed to protect victims of modern slavery, instead creating an environment of retaliation following their involvement.

Brief overview of the cases:

1. Mediceram Sdn. Bhd.: Workers suffered for years from late wages, threats, bullying, and poor living conditions. When their passports were taken, they became isolated. Without work permit renewals, many have become illegal. This is forced labour and modern slavery. The company did refund recruitment fees after several strikes and external pressures, but in 1st week of November 2025, 15 workers were forced to return home because they demanded permit renewals and repayment for former workers. Worker leaders elected by workers were deported in clear retaliation, with one escaping by fleeing. An OECD complaint has been filed against the Australian company Ansell, a major buyer from Mediceram, about forced labour and neglect. Conditions of the Bangladeshi workers at Mediceram are getting worse.
2. Kawaguchi Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd.: This company was a major supplier for global brands such as Sony, Panasonic, and Daikin. Workers paid high recruitment fees and experienced wage payment irregularities starting in 2022, with their salaries going entirely unpaid for seven months as of September 2024. After facing months of hardship and strikes, 308 Bangladeshi workers were reimbursed by the above-mentioned buyers for recruitment fees and compensation for their hardship. However, their unpaid wages remained outstanding even after the Malaysian authority (JTK) issued a consent order following a settlement meeting between the workers, JTK, and Kawaguchi management on 24th December 2024. The Taiwanese owner of Kawaguchi still owes 3 million RM to 251 migrant workers, yet the company was officially closed without settling this debt, highlighting a significant failure of the Malaysian system.

Demands: 1. Immediate compensation for Mediceram workers who were forcibly deported for demanding work permit renewal and recruitment fee reimbursement for their colleagues. 2. Stop forced deportations immediately and assist with transferring from Mediceram to a responsible employer through the legal process. 2 3. Immediate ban on Mediceram and its owner, Mr Arumugam Suppiah Datu and his companies from hiring any more Bangladeshi workers in future. 4. Ensure that all former Kawaguchi workers receive their pending wages in accordance with the JTK consent order, and that former Mediceram workers are reimbursed for their recruitment fees. 5. We call for a reformation of the performance of the Bangladeshi High Commission, KL, in line with the genuine needs of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia, who are suffering in large numbers. 6. We call for comprehensive reform of Bangladesh’s recruitment and migration system so that safeguarding migrant workers’ rights becomes the central focus, rather than prioritising remittance generation. 7. We call for complete transparency and systemic support from international buyers to ensure the protection of migrant workers’ rights.

The Migrant Welfare Network (MWN) highlights and emphasises that “these workers have built Malaysia’s industries and supported Bangladesh’s economy through their remittances. They deserve justice—not deportation, debt, or threat.”

Nironjan, a Mediceram Workers Committee member recently deported, said: “We requested our rights as humans but were treated as second-class humans, even as animals. Our demands for salaries and recruitment fee refunds led to harassment. When we asked for legal status and reimbursement for friends, we were threatened and forced onto flights. Speaking up results in deportation, and after mass dismissals, we’re barred from seeking new employment. We have decided to keep appealing to authorities, media, activists and the public for justice.”

Omar Faruq, a former Kawaguchi worker forced to leave Malaysia due to the uncertain RTK system, said: “We suffered passport confiscation and unpaid salaries for over seven months, leaving us hungry and desperate. Our appeals to authorities brought no help. Our wages still remain unpaid as the company closed without settlement. Thousands of migrant workers face similar hardship in Malaysia. Complete reform is needed.”

Media References: ABC News (Australia): “Australian glove-maker Ansell accused of exploiting workers” (Sept 2025). Click for news link The Daily Star (Bangladesh): “Dream turns into despair for deported Mediceram workers” (6 Nov 2025). Click for news link AP News: “Migrant workers from Kawaguchi seek unpaid wages, partial repayments arranged” (May 2025). Click for news link

Contact: Migrant Welfare Network (MWN): mw.org2025@gmail.comor +8801622125270 Nironjan, Mediceram Workers Representative: +880 1938962947Omar Faruq, Kawaguchi Workers Representative: +880 1620785039 Thank you for your attention and participation!

ABC News: 11th Sept 2025: Australian glove-maker Ansell accused of exploiting workers at Malaysian factory of supplier, MediCeram

Original Source: ABC News by Ben Butler– 11th September 202

In short:

A complaint lodged at the federal Treasury claims 220 Bangladeshi workers at a Malaysian factory where moulds for Ansell gloves are made have suffered serious human rights abuses. 

Ansell, headquartered in Melbourne, says it has looked into the allegations and identified breaches of international labour standards.

However, the Malaysian company’s chairman denies the allegations.

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Australian glove-maker Ansell is being accused of using an overseas supplier that has allegedly exploited more than 200 factory workers — including through forced labour — in a complaint lodged with the federal government.

The Melbourne-based company confirmed to the ABC that it has investigated allegations involving workers at the Malaysian factory, among others, and “identified a number of issues that did not meet international labour standards”.

It is now the subject of a complaint lodged with the federal Treasury — where disputes over minimum labour standards at multinational companies are filed — by international labour activist Andy Hall.Original worker demandsOriginal worker demands 

According to the complaint, more than 220 Bangladeshi workers at MediCeram, which makes moulds for Ansell’s gloves, “have suffered serious abuses of fundamental worker and human rights”.Ansell is a Melbourne-based company that makes gloves as well as other personal protection equipment for the healthcare industry.  (ABC News: John Gunn)Workers OECD complaint against Ansell in Australia 

The alleged abuses include wage theft, forced labour and debt bondage, as well as the deportation of workers who complained about their treatment.

MediCeram vehemently denies any abuse of its workers.

In his complaint, Mr Hall said the workers paid fees of about $US5,200 each to recruiters in Bangladesh, leaving them in debt bondage.

Ansell Advances Labour Rights Across Its Supply Chain Press Release August 2025.pdf (recent statement)Download

Many took industrial action in March over allegations of several months of unpaid wages and overtime, according to the complaint.

Mr Hall also alleged that some workers had been deprived of their passports for periods of time and their work visas had not been renewed.

He alleged that about 33 workers who complained to management were sacked and deported.

“Ansell’s due diligence measures failed to prevent the forced labour and retribution by termination in this instance,” Mr Hall said in the complaint.

One Bangladeshi employee, speaking anonymously to the ABC over concerns about his employment, said six workers were housed in each room at MediCeram’s accommodation.

Chairman of Malaysian company denies allegations

Workers original demands March 2025 at Mediceram

Mr Hall filed the complaint with Treasury because it runs the Australian National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct (AusNCP) — the designated “national contact point” for dealing with such disputes under an arrangement set up by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

(270525) Ansell – Mediceram statement – for customers.pdfDownload

(20250624) Ansell – Mediceram Letter.pdfDownload

It is the second time labour activists have used the mechanism to allege breaches of workers’ rights at suppliers to Ansell.

In 2017, Treasury settled a dispute between the company and the union IndustriALL. In that matter, it was alleged that workers at Ansell factories in Sri Lanka and Malaysia were coerced into agreeing to unsafe working conditions and suffered significant health issues from workplace contamination. Ansell denied the allegations.Ansell has previously denied allegations of unsafe working conditions at its factories. (Facebook: Ansell)

MediCeram supplies moulds of hands that are dipped into latex or plastic to make gloves for Ansell. The Malaysian company’s chairman, Arumugam Suppiah, denied all of Mr Hall’s allegations.

“This is unfair, and intimidation by the so-called labour activist,” he told the ABC.

“Ansell is a respectable company and MediCeram has complied with all local rules.

“All the allegations can be refuted with supporting documents.”

He said Ansell continued to support MediCeram, but had not bought anything from the company for three months.On their corporate Facebook page, Ansell advertises the size of their glove business. (Facebook: Ansell)

An Ansell spokesperson said the company “pre-ordered, expedited payment for and took advance delivery of over one year’s worth of ceramic formers to support the supplier’s cash flow” so that MediCeram could fund repayments to workers and a remediation package.

The spokesperson confirmed Ansell investigated MediCeram and other ceramic-former suppliers earlier this year and “identified a number of issues that did not meet international labour standards or comply with our supplier code of conduct”.

“Ansell has deliberately chosen not to walk away from the suppliers, including the supplier that is the subject of the AusNCP complaint,” the spokesperson said.

“We continue to engage with them closely to encourage their mitigation and remediation of the issues identified.”

The spokesperson said they would deal with the complaints process “in good faith”.

Mr Hall said that while MediCeram had agreed to repay the recruitment fees in instalments, the eight months it had to pay was “too lengthy”.

“Many workers have been excluded from the remediation package unfairly and irrationally by MediCeram, including repatriated and departed workers,” he said in the complaint.

He also accused Ansell of irresponsibly disengaging from MediCeram, contrary to OECD guidelines that state multinationals should work to fix problems at their suppliers rather than walking away.

Firm’s duty to prevent modern slavery, legal expert says

Ansell Mediceram workers’ August 2025 complaint letter to RBA’s Responsible Glove Alliance and remediation letter

Human Rights Law Centre associate legal director Freya Dinshaw, who sits on a board advising the government about such disputes, said the mechanism worked well when companies were willing to negotiate with complainants.

“It’s not a court, so ultimately they’re not binding, and that’s why Australia also needs to ensure that there are binding mechanisms to ensure that our companies do the right thing no matter where in the world they operate,” she said.

Ms Dinshaw said current Australian laws only require companies to report on the risks of modern slavery in their supply chain.Freya Dinshaw says Australian-based companies should be legally bound to avoid modern slavery no matter where they operate.

“Australian companies should have a duty to prevent modern slavery so that they’re legally required to investigate and address forced labour in their supply chains and face hard consequences where they don’t,” she said.

She said the importation of slave-made goods should also be banned.

The Albanese government committed to toughening Australian laws late last year but has not yet introduced legislation.Original remediation settlement

“They haven’t as yet committed to significantly strengthen the act by requiring companies to take action to address risks and as long as the act’s requirements are met by a tick box approach to addressing modern slavery, there are going to be companies that turn a blind eye to worker exploitation, even though they technically comply with the reporting requirements,” Ms Dinshaw said.

Past Mediceram Stories 

Daily Star 8th Nov 2025:152 Bangladeshi workers at Mediceram in Malaysia (Ansell gloves global supply chain) protest forced repatriation, appoint legal counsel 

Daily Star 6th Nov 2025: Dream turns into despair for 10 deported Bangladeshi migrants from Mediceram in Malaysia (Ansell/YTY gloves supply chain factory)

Daily Star 5th Nov 2025: Malaysia’s Mediceram, in Ansell’s global gloves supply chain, forcibly and involuntarily sends back 10 Bangladeshis

Daily Star 4th Nov 2025: MEDICERAM IN MALAYSIA – 190 Bangladeshis in Ansell global gloves supply chain fired for protesting exploitation

Statement for Immediate Release 3rd Nov 2025: Around 190 Bangladeshi Migrant Workers at Mediceram Dismissed for Demanding Fair and Dignified Working Conditions

PSM statement 3rd Nov 2025: 180 Migrant Workers laid off simply for demanding fair employment rights and safe environment

31st Oct 2025: Malaysia’s Mediceram, Supplier to Global Gloves Industry including Ansell, YTY and Top Glove, Allegedly Terminates All 180 Bangladeshi Foreign Workers, Alleged Victims of Forced Labour, and Moves to Force Repatriation to Bangladesh

YTY/Mediceram statement 9th Sept 2025: Former Supplier Update

2nd July 2025 FMT: Workers at glove mould producer Mediceram back at work after successful talks

FMT 25th May 2025: Malaysian mould manufacturer Mediceram sets up task force to resolve worker grievances following Bangladeshi migrant workers successful strike to address alleged forced labour conditions

FMT 19th May 2025: Malaysia’s Mediceram Glove Factory (supplying brands and buyers like Ansell, YTY, Top Glove) threatened to deport 60 Bangladeshi migrants amid strike, says activist

Daily Star 18th May 2025 – Bangladeshi Migrant Worker at Mediceram Sdn Bhd Glove Company in Malaysia (supplying Ansell, YTY, Top Glove and other local and global gloves brands) faces deportation after speaking up on modern slavery and forced labour allegations

FMT 15th May 2025: Bangladeshi foreign workers in alleged situation of forced labour threaten to go on strike again at mould-making plant Mediceram

Daily Star 15th May 2025: Migration – ‘Contact me if you face any trouble’ – Asif Nazrul tells Mediceram migrant workers in Malaysia

FMT 28th Mar 2025: Glove maker YTY says Malaysian ceramic mould supplier Mediceram may be involved in forced labour practices

28th Mar 2025: YTY Gloves Group Statement on Mediceram (Malaysian Ceramics Glove Former Supplier) Forced Labour Allegations 

FMT 8th Mar 2025: Workers at glove mould-making plant in Malaysia, supplying leading domestic and international gloves companies, not paid for 3 months, claims activist (another alleged Malaysian modern slavery related case)

Past Related Malaysian Gloves and Modern Slavery Related Stories 

26th Sept 2024: Former Malaysian gloves plant workers sue Kimberly-Clark. They allege abuse at company’s supplier Brightway

20th Sep 2023: CBP modifies withhold release order against Supermax Corporation Bhd. and its subsidiaries

26th Feb 2023: Malaysian glovemakers must show ‘no forced labour’ to sell to UK’s National Health Service.

August 18 2022: Migrant workers at Malaysian glove maker Brightway Holdings file US lawsuit against Kimberly-Clark Corp & Ansell, accusing them of “knowingly profiting” from alleged use of forced labour

August 12 2022: Full case submission now available online for the former Brightway Gloves (Malaysia) Bangladeshi workers US court case claims related to forced labour against Ansell and Kimberly Clark Corporation (KCC)

10th August 2022 Reuters: Ex-workers at Malaysian supplier sue Kimberly-Clark, Ansell over alleged labour abuse

10th August 2022: Ansell and Kimberly-Clark Sued in US Federal Court by Trafficking and Forced Labor Victims from Malaysian Glove Company

16th June 2022: My comment on Norway wealth fund putting Malaysia’s Supermax Corp under observation.

The Diplomat, April 4, 2022 – After Pressure, Growing Transparency in Malaysia’s Glove Industry

8th Feb 2022: Malaysia’s scandal-hit Supermax pays $6 million in compensation to migrant workers.

28th Dec 2021 Reuters: Ansell halts orders from Malaysian glove maker Brightway after US ban 

The Sydney Morning Herald, December 21, 2021 – Gloves off: Ansell under fire over “modern slavery” at Malaysian supplier 

20th Dec 2021 Reuters: U.S. Customs bans fifth Malaysian glove maker Brightway over alleged forced labour

14th September 2021 – The Diplomat: Debt Bondage Payouts Flow to Workers in Malaysia’s Glove Industry 

Reuters, September 10, 2021 – U.S. lifts import ban on Malaysia’s Top Glove over forced labour concerns

VOA, July 7, 2021 – Forced Labor Rising in Malaysia’s Rubber Glove Factories, Study Shows

Reuters, May 29, 2021: U.S. probes two Malaysian glove makers over forced labour allegations – report Reuters

20th May 2021 Reuters Insight: ‘Slavery’ found at a Malaysian glove factory. Why didn’t the auditor see it?

The Guardian, March 30, 2021 – US bars rubber gloves from Malaysian from due to ‘evidence of forced labour’

CNN, March 30, 2021 – US will seize all Top Glove imports after finding ‘sufficient evidence’ of forced labour

Reuters, March 30, 2021 – U.S. Customs says forced labour used at Malaysia’s Top Glove, to seize gloves

28th Dec 2020 Malay Mail: Human Resources Ministry – Brightway Holdings, two subsidiaries to face 30 charges over workers accommodation

21st Dec 2020: Malaysia: Hundreds of migrant workers subject to “squalid” onsite living conditions at glove manufacturers owned by Brightway Holdings; Incl. buyer responses

VOA, November 19, 2020 – After US Sanctions, Malaysia Migrant Workers Get Millions in Restitution from Glove Makers

CNN, September 11, 2020 – The world’s top suppliers of disposable gloves are thriving because of the pandemic. Their workers aren’t

VOA, July 17, 2020 – US Bars Imports from Top Rubber Glove Maker Amid COVID Surge

Newsroom, July 28, 2020 – Are your disposable gloves made using forced labour?

Reuters, July 16, 2020 – Amid virus crisis, U.S. bars imports of Malaysia’s Top Glove over labour issues

Associated Press (AP), March 4, 2020 – Key medical glove factories cutting staff 50% amid virus

VOA, October 11, 2019 – US Ban on Malaysian Glove Maker Highlights ‘Systemic’ Labor Abuse

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Why Human Rights Matter to Business?

Risky Business with Darian McBain: Asia

15th January 2024

Why Human Rights Matter to Business with Darian McBain – Interview with Andy Hall – Migrant Worker Rights Specialist

Asian business is changing. Customer demands, government regulations, stakeholder expectations, they are all evolving under the pressure of the environmental crisis. And even the most robust business models are starting to show cracks. But it’s through those cracks that opportunities arrive.

Do you know how to navigate this new normal?

Andy Hall is a human rights defender, a researcher/investigator and activist, and an independent specialist on migrant worker rights.

In this episode of Risky Business, Andy talks about how he uncovered – and helped to tackle – the problem of labour rights abuses in Malaysia’s latex glove industry.

Click HERE to listen 

The post 21st Nov Green Left AUS: Bangladeshi workers (alleged forced labour victims) in Ansell’s supply chain (Mediceram, Malaysia) face deportation appeared first on Andy Hall.

United Nations (UN) NEWS RELEASE 21 Nov 2025 – Malaysia: UN experts sound alarm over continued systematic exploitation of Bangladeshi migrant workers in Malaysia (alleged criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshi workers for forced labour in Malaysia)

Sourced from: https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/11/malaysia-un-experts-sound-alarm-over-continued-systematic-exploitation

GENEVA (21 November 2025) – UN human rights experts* today expressed renewed concern about the continued exploitation, deception, and deepening debt bondage of Bangladeshi migrant workers in Malaysia.
 
“We are deeply troubled that fraudulent recruitment and the exploitation of migrants remain widespread and systematic in Malaysia,” the experts said. “These practices continue to cause significant human rights harms to affected workers and their families.”
 
The experts noted that, according to information received, thousands of workers recruited through the Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services (BOES) remain stranded in Bangladesh or face exploitation risks in Malaysia after paying recruitment fees reportedly exceeding the official fees by more than five times. Allegations also include  confiscation of passports by employers, false job promises, discrepancies between contracts and promised employment packages, the publication of workers’ passport numbers and other personal information without their consent, and the lack of access to support from responsible government agencies.
 
“Some migrants have reportedly been asked to make additional payments, while others have been reassigned to jobs without their consent. We have also been informed that a small number of recruitment agencies operate as a closed syndicate sustained by corruption, lack of transparency, and systemic exploitation,” the experts noted. They also received reports of workers being pressured to sign or record false declarations stating that they had only paid official fees shortly before departure.
 
The experts reiterated that the Governments of Bangladesh and Malaysia have an obligation to ensure that labour migration is governed in a rights-based, transparent, and accountable manner. They urged Bangladesh to strengthen the oversight of recruitment agencies, possibly through a centralised job portal, and prohibit the collection of fees from migrant workers. Malaysia is asked to ensure stronger safeguards to protect migrants from exploitation, arbitrary arrest, detention or deportation. They stressed that involuntary repatriations and any form of reprisals by either governments or employers against migrant workers are wholly unacceptable and violate international human rights obligations.
 
They called on both countries to conduct prompt and independent investigations into reported abuses, provide effective remedies, including restitution and debt relief, and enhance cooperation to dismantle exploitative recruitment networks.
 
The experts urged both Governments to strengthen independent oversight in cooperation with civil society, trade unions, national human rights institutions, and UN agencies. In addition, they called for expanded labour inspections in high-risk sectors and effective firewalls between labour rights enforcement/service providers and immigration enforcement authorities. They further urged the Government of Bangladesh to provide pre-departure training for workers on their rights and establish effective reporting channels to secure remedies to migrants.

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TPBS 23rd Nov 2025: Bangladeshi workers pay up to RM30,000 for jobs in Malaysia – Former minister

FMT 21st Nov 2025: UN experts flag ‘continued exploitation’ of Bangladeshis in Malaysia

Daily Star 22nd Nov 2025: UN – Intensify efforts to safeguard migrant workers

Malaysiakini 22nd Nov 2025: UN – Continued exploitation of Bangladeshi workers in M’sia alarming

Malaysiakini 22nd Nov 2025: Foreign worker syndicate – Dhaka court bins ex-minister’s bail bid

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“We urge both Governments to intensify their efforts to ensure that migrant workers are not criminalised or re-victimised, and that fraudulent recruitment agencies and other responsible actors are held accountable,” the experts said.
 
They reiterated their readiness to continue constructive dialogue with both Governments and relevant actors.
 
The experts have been in contact with the Governments of Malaysia and Bangladesh on these issues.

*The experts:

• Tomoya Obokata, the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences;
• Gehad Madi, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants; 
• Pichamon Yeophantong (Chairperson), Damilola Olawuyi (Vice-Chairperson), Fernanda Hopenhaym, Lyra Jakulevičienė and Robert McCorquodale, Working Group on business and human rights.

Special Rapporteurs/Independent Experts/Working Groups are independent human rights experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Together, these experts are referred to as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. While the UN Human Rights office acts as the secretariat for Special Procedures, the experts serve in their individual capacity and are independent from any government or organization, including OHCHR and the UN. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the UN or OHCHR.

Country-specific observations and recommendations by the UN human rights mechanisms, including the special procedures, the treaty bodies and the Universal Periodic Review, can be found on the Universal Human Rights Index.

UN Human Rights, country page – https://www.ohchr.org/en/countries/bangladesh

For inquiries and media requests, please contact: Satya Jennings (satya.jennings@un.org).

For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts please contact Maya Derouaz (maya.derouaz@un.org) or Dharisha Indraguptha (dharisha.indraguptha@un.org)

Follow news related to the UN’s independent human rights experts on X: @UN_SPExperts.

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LATEST RELATED NEWS

21st Nov Daily Star: Malaysia should relax criteria for recruiters

19th Nov UNB: Some conditions set by Malaysia for labour recruitment ‘unacceptable’: Asif Nazrul 

19th Nov 2025 TBS: Bangladesh objects to Malaysia’s conditions over recruitment syndicate fears: Asif Nazrul

Nepali Times 16th Nov 2025: Nepal, Bangladesh reject Malaysian conditions – Ball back in Malaysia court on its strict new migrant labour recruitment criteria

15th Nov TBS News: After losing lakhs to ‘syndicate’, left-behind Bangladeshi workers in debt bondage and modern slavery paying yet again for Malaysia 

Malaysiakini 9th Nov 2025: Bangladesh court orders fresh probe into worker-sending syndicate to M’sia

FMT 7th Nov 2025: New hiring conditions will perpetuate monopoly, ex-MP warns

Kaler Kantho 7th Nov 2025 – Migrant labour market: Bangladesh sends letter to Malaysia to relax three syndicated recruitment conditions after Nepal rejects outright

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Malaysiakini 6th Nov 2025: New Malaysian migrant worker ‘syndicate’ rules spark scandal in Nepal as millions in bribes allegedly paid to intermediaries to secure recruitment market 

B Nantha Kumar

Sourced from:https://m.malaysiakini.com/news/759971?login_method=google#

Malaysia’s recent move to tighten requirements over migrant labour supply for recruitment agencies has allegedly sparked a corruption scandal in Nepal.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, sources in Nepal told Malaysiakini that Malaysia’s introduction of the new “10 mandatory criteria” has caused panic among Nepalese agencies.

They explained how industry players now fear losing access to the Malaysian labour market, a key destination for many Nepalese workers. Nepal is also one of the main suppliers of migrant workers, especially security personnel, in Malaysia.

‎recruitment criteriaDownload

“As soon as the letter from the Malaysian government came out, several individuals in Nepal began offering ‘assistance’ to get approval.

“They claimed to have direct links with certain parties in Malaysia. Many were desperate, and so they paid,” said a source, who declined to be named for fear of their safety.

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See also Kantipur Nov 5th 2025: Nepal sends letter to Malaysia, says manpower standards cannot be accepted

See also Kantipur Nov 3rd 2025: Malaysia’s manpower standards being finalized through diplomatic dialogue, says Nepal

See also 31st Oct 2025: Malaysian migrant Recruiters demand withdrawal of ‘irrational conditions’ for sending workers to Malaysia

See also 31st Oct 2025 Benarma – Malaysian Home minister: Bangladesh’s extradition request for Bestinet founder managed through govt, police channels

See also Nepali Times 30th Oct 2025: Who gets to recruit for Malaysia? Malaysia’s new 10-point recruiter selection criteria risks punishing the good migration actors

See also TBS 28th Oct 2025: Malaysia seeks ‘rationalisation’ of recruiting agencies based on 10 criteria

See also Dhaka Tribune 28th Oct 2025: Recruiting agencies warn of monopolization in Malaysia labour recruitment. They accused the ministry of creating a new recruitment syndicate – Baira leaders said 99% of agencies would be excluded

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According to the source, at least five agencies in Nepal paid between RM1 million and RM1.5 million to a syndicate that allegedly has “close ties” with individuals who can influence the approval of worker quotas for Malaysia.

Malaysiakini has identified the companies and has contacted them for clarification.

Last week, the Foreign Affairs Ministry set 10 mandatory criteria for foreign agencies to supply workers to Malaysia.

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Nepal Press release 2082.07.13.pdfDownload

Bangladesh response
Download

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One of the criteria, which has been deemed highly controversial, stipulates that an agency wishing to send workers must have experience managing at least 3,000 workers in five years and successfully placing these workers in at least three countries.

On Oct 27, the ministry also sent letters to the embassies of source countries (countries eligible to send workers) and requested their respective governments to submit a list of agencies that can meet all the criteria by Nov 15.

Malaysiakini has viewed the letter in question.

Other stipulated conditions include having positive testimonials from at least five international employers, possessing a large permanent office (10,000 square feet) that has been operating for a minimum of three years, and having their own training centre.

A gathering held by the Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies

Further, at least two international associations have already criticised the new requirements, labelling them as unrealistic, unfair, and having the potential to revive “syndicates”.

Proceeds sent to India

Previously, the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira) and the Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (Nafea) described the new criteria as “impossible” to meet.

Both associations also claimed the requirements were merely a ploy to control the market and sideline new agencies. They also alleged that certain individuals in Malaysia were the “masterminds” behind an attempt to revive the syndicate system.

Meanwhile, another Nepali source also said a syndicate had already collected over RM6 million from several agencies that sought to ensure their names remain on the Malaysian government’s approved list.

“The proceeds from the collection have been sent to certain bank accounts in India,” the source added.

Malaysiakini is not disclosing the name of the agent collecting payments from India while waiting for their comment.

The source further explained how several agencies in Nepal are now facing immense pressure to comply with Malaysia’s stringent requirements while dealing with agents who tout their abilities to “manage” the process for a fee.

Demonstration in Nepal

When contacted by Malaysiakini, Nafea senior vice-president Sujith Kumar Shrestha confirmed the existence of a syndicate attempting to profit following the letter from the Malaysian government.

He also demanded an immediate investigation into these claims, including scrutinising the possibility of Malaysian parties colluding with the syndicate.

“This is no longer an administrative issue; this is an issue of cross-border corruption,” he said.

Separately, the organisation also held a demonstration yesterday, urging the Nepalese government to object to the Malaysian government’s conditions.

“Over 100 migrant worker agencies across the country (Nepal) had participated.

“Our goal is for ‘no syndicates’. Currently, workers in Nepal also have to fork out almost RM13,000 to come to Malaysia. If these new conditions are implemented, these payments will only increase further.

“If the Malaysian government still wants to implement this syndicate system, then the majority of labour recruitment companies and licence holders will be prepared to hand over their licences to the government,” Sujith added.

Previously, Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry said questions regarding the new criteria and migrant worker recruitment policy should be referred to the Human Resources Ministry.

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Malaysiakini 9th Nov: Bangladesh court orders fresh probe into worker-sending syndicate to M’sia

B Nantha Kumar
Published: Nov 9, 2025 8:00 AM

Sourced from: https://m.malaysiakini.com/news/760233?login_method=google&fbclid=IwVERDUAN8wTxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeGUbm7lkoOg2BsgWugTme3dnKyf_OZmO_Yprss7NpTAecXYN9i7CFxmtRb-w_aem__4op5tM2D52hecXU-wcePw

The Dhaka High Court in Bangladesh has set aside the final report submitted by the Criminal Investigation Department, which had cleared 103 individuals accused of running a syndicate allegedly involved in human trafficking, fraud, extortion, and money laundering linked to the recruitment of workers for Malaysia.

When contacted, businessperson Altaf Khan’s lawyer, Md Rafiqul Islam, confirmed the court’s decision to Malaysiakini.

“The court made the decision after hearing arguments from both sides on Oct 30 and Nov 2, including at the Special Court for Prevention of Human Trafficking.

“In its ruling last Sunday, the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Court ordered police to reopen investigations into this high-profile case.

“The ruling paves the way for real justice,” he said briefly.

On Sept 3 last year, Altaf filed a police report at Paltan police station in Bangladesh against 103 individuals accused of siphoning off RM8.36 billion through an organised syndicate.
Among those named in the report were former expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment minister Imran Ahmed, former senior secretary Ahmed Munirus Saleheen, and former MP Nizam Uddin Hazari.

Imran Ahmed
Also accused were politician and retired lieutenant general Masud Uddin Chowdhury, Benjir Ahmed, and Kashmiri Kamal – along with her daughter Nafisa Kamal, who is the wife and daughter of former finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal.

At least 100 owners of Bangladeshi overseas recruitment agencies were also named in the report.

However, the CID previously concluded there was “no evidence” regarding the alleged syndicate.

‘Fabricated, biased’
Altaf claimed the CID’s report was “fabricated and biased” due to influence from the accused parties.
He subsequently petitioned the court to express no confidence in the CID’s findings and requested a fresh investigation.
Bangladesh’s labour-sending programme to Malaysia resumed in August 2022 after a nearly six-year suspension.
However, in May this year, after more than 476,000 workers had been deployed, the programme was halted, leaving another 17,000 licensed workers stranded.
At the time, Malaysia only authorised 25 Bangladeshi agencies to send workers – a group later dubbed the “syndicate” – allegedly linked to four former Bangladeshi ministers and MPs.

Although Bangladesh had set the official recruitment cost at 79,000 taka (about RM3,400) per worker, migrants claimed they were forced to pay as much as 544,000 taka (about RM23,000) each.

Of that, roughly 142,000 taka (RM4859) was collected by agents in Bangladesh and another 150,000 taka (RM5,133) by syndicate-linked parties in Malaysia for each visa.

M’sia requests halt to probe
In July, Malaysiakini reported that Bangladesh agreed to halt its investigation into the alleged syndicate exploiting its citizens seeking jobs in Malaysia, following a request from the Malaysian government.
According to a local official who requested anonymity, the decision was made during a meeting in Kuala Lumpur on July 17 between representatives of Bangladesh’s government and Malaysia’s Human Resources Ministry.

“Two officials, the special secretary and special assistant to Bangladesh’s chief adviser, visited Malaysia and met with ministry officials.

“During the meeting, the Bangladeshi representatives agreed to stop the investigation so that Malaysia could resume the recruitment process,” the official said.

Malaysiakini was informed that the meeting took place after Malaysia sent a letter to Bangladesh urging for the probe to be dropped, calling it baseless.

The purported letter, dated April 23, 2025, was sent by a senior Human Resources Ministry official to his counterpart at Bangladeshi Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry.
However, the Human Resources Ministry denied holding any formal meeting with Bangladeshi representatives and declined to comment on the contents of the letter.

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Malaysiakini 6th Nov 2025: Nepal govt rejects Msia’s new labour requirements

The Nepalese government has rejected Malaysia’s new requirements for labour recruitment agencies, describing the criteria as unacceptable and contradictory to existing laws and policies.

Sourced from: https://m.malaysiakini.com/news/760068?login_method=google&fbclid=IwRlRTSAN5ZK5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeT5DiRoIStRwVP884upfPVt4XhfJgz06DUedch9RanrMUewGQOusjIsnLH0U_aem_1s98FL40e4V1KIj4Va3P8Q

According to an eKantipur report, Nepal’s Labour, Employment, and Social Security Ministry sent a diplomatic note to the Malaysian government on Tuesday, Nov 4, explaining how they could not fulfil the new criteria.

“The rules proposed by Malaysia would require amendments to our domestic laws. Right now, there is no possibility of doing that.

“The deployment of workers to Malaysia has long been conducted according to the Foreign Employment Act, national immigration policy, and a bilateral labour agreement between the two countries,” said a senior official from the Nepalese Prime Minister and Ministers Council Office, who was quoted in the report.

“The labour relations between Malaysia and Nepal are strong. However, any issues must be resolved through mutual consultation, not by setting unilateral conditions,” he added.

Further, he explained that the decision to reject the criteria had been made based on instructions from interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki, who currently holds the Labour and Foreign Affairs portfolios in the caretaker government formed after Gen Z led nationwide protests.

Nepal passport
The diplomatic note, issued via the Nepalese Foreign Affairs Ministry, was in response to Malaysia’s decision to impose 10 new criteria for selecting foreign labour agencies supplying migrant workers to Malaysia.

One of the criteria, which has been deemed highly controversial, stipulates that an agency wishing to send workers must have experience managing at least 3,000 workers in five years and successfully placing these workers in at least three countries.

Other stipulated conditions include having positive testimonials from at least five international employers, possessing a large permanent office (10,000 square feet) that has been operating for a minimum of three years, and having their own training centre.

Risk of labour syndicates
On Oct 27, Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry issued an official letter to the embassies of source countries (countries eligible to send migrant workers to Malaysia), including Nepal.

In the letter sighted by Malaysiakini, Putrajaya requested these governments to submit a list of all labour agencies capable of meeting these new requirements by Nov 15.

Malaysian Foreign Ministry
In response, at least two international organisations have condemned the Malaysian government’s new requirements for migrant worker recruitment, describing them as unfair, unrealistic, and potentially risking the revival of labour syndicates.

Earlier this week, the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira) and the Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (Nafea) said the 10 criteria set by the Foreign Ministry were “impossible” to meet.

Both groups also claimed the requirements were merely a ploy to control the market and sideline new agencies, and that certain individuals in Malaysia had allegedly been the “masterminds” behind an attempt to reinstate these labour syndicates.

However, the Foreign Ministry has clarified that any questions regarding the criteria and migrant worker recruitment policy should be referred to the Human Resources Ministry as the lead ministry on the matter.

M’sia-Nepal meeting
Meanwhile, the Nepalese government announced that a joint technical committee meeting would be held to discuss the issue, while reiterating its commitment to ensuring the welfare and safety of Nepalese workers in Malaysia.

Karki was reported to have instructed Foreign Secretary Amrit Kumar Rai to hold high-level consultations with the Malaysian government, including discussions with Malaysia’s acting ambassador in Kathmandu.

Malaysiakini also recently reported that Malaysia’s move to tighten the eligibility of migrant worker supply agencies has allegedly sparked corruption in Nepal, a key labour supplier for security personnel in Malaysia.

According to sources, at least five agencies in Nepal have recently paid between RM1 million and RM1.5 million to a syndicate that has alleged “close ties” with individuals who could influence the approval of worker quotas to Malaysia.

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Malaysiakini 4th Nov 2025: ‘10 conditions to supply migrant workers will revive syndicate’ in Malaysia, say international groups 

B Nantha Kumar

Published:  Nov 4, 2025

Sourced from: https://m.malaysiakini.com/news/759896

Summary

• The Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira) and the Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (Nafea) slam the Foreign Ministry’s 10 new mandatory criteria for migrant worker agencies as ‘impossible’ and ‘illogical.’
• The associations claim the conditions – such as needing experience managing 3,000 workers in five years and operating in three countries – are a ploy to control the market and potentially revive a syndicate.
• A local activist and PKR member, V Sivam, has sent a letter to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim protesting the policy for its lack of transparency and potential to negatively affect legitimate local agencies.

At least two international associations have slammed the Putrajaya’s new conditions for recruiting migrant workers, describing them as unrealistic, unfair, and potentially reviving a syndicate.

This comes after the government, through the Foreign Ministry, set 10 mandatory criteria for foreign agencies to supply workers to Malaysia.

The ministry sent a letter dated Oct 27, sighted by Malaysiakini, to embassies of source countries and requested their respective governments to submit a list of agencies capable of meeting all the conditions no later than Nov 15.

Among the conditions deemed controversial is that agencies wishing to send migrant workers to Malaysia must have experience managing at least 3,000 workers in five years and placing workers in at least three countries.

The letter sighted by Malaysiakini 

Other conditions set are having positive testimonials from at least five international employers, owning a large, permanent office ( about 10,000 square feet) that has been operating for at least three years, and having their own training centre.

‘Discriminatory’

Speaking to Malaysiakini, the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira) and the Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (Nafea) said the 10 criteria set by the Foreign Ministry were “impossible” for almost all agencies, even experienced ones, to meet.

Both associations also claimed these conditions are merely a ploy to control the market and eliminate new agencies, in addition to several individuals in Malaysia being the “masterminds” behind an attempt to revive the syndicate system.

“The policy sounds good on paper, but 99 percent of agencies in Bangladesh and other countries cannot fulfil it. A large part of these criteria is irrelevant, unethical, and malicious.

“The 10 criteria are ‘illogical and discriminatory’, as the migrant worker market to Malaysia was closed for a long time – including from 2009 to 2012 – and then controlled by a syndicate between 2017 and 2024.

“How can an agency send workers to three different countries if the market is closed? This is crazy,” said former Baira joint secretary-general-1 Mohammed Fakhrul Islam.

Meanwhile, Nafea also voiced similar concerns over the move, saying Malaysia’s move to limit only a few agencies to operate is “unfair and contradicts international norms”.

“This decision denies the right of Nepalese agencies to operate freely and will increase the financial burden on Nepalese workers.

“A system like this will undermine the overseas employment policy of the Nepalese government and open the door to corruption and worker exploitation.

“Overseas employment involves the mutual interests of employers and workers. Limiting licensed agencies is an attack on the right to fair competition,” said Nafea secretary-general Mahesh Kumar Barnet.

The association urged the Nepalese government not to recognise any syndicate and demanded that Malaysia withdraw the policy.

‘Ask Human Resources Ministry’

When contacted, the Foreign Ministry referred Malaysiakini’s queries to the Human Resources Ministry.

“The Foreign Ministry takes note of the queries regarding the diplomatic note sent to the embassies of several source countries concerning the rationalisation process of migrant worker recruitment agencies. 

“This step is part of the government’s initiative to strengthen ethical and transparent practices in migrant worker recruitment.

“In this regard, Human Resources Ministry is the lead ministry responsible for formulating and setting the policy on migrant worker recruitment.

“The (Foreign Ministry’s) role is solely to convey the policy set by the government through the proper diplomatic channels. Any detailed questions about the policy should be directed straight to Human Resources Ministry,” a source from the ministry said. 

Bangladesh stops probe

On July 31, Malaysiakini reported that Bangladesh agreed to halt its investigationinto the alleged syndicate exploiting Bangladeshi citizens seeking work in Malaysia.

This was after a source claimed the decision was reached at a meeting in July between representatives of the Bangladeshi government and Human Resources Ministry officials in Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysiakini was also told the meeting was held following a letter from the Malaysian government to Bangladesh requesting that the investigation into the allegations, deemed unfounded, be stopped.

The letter dated April 23 was said to be sent from a senior Human Resources Ministry official to a senior official at the Bangladeshi Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry.

In the letter, the Human Resources Ministry asked Bangladesh to address the syndicate issue exploiting Bangladeshi citizens seeking work in Malaysia from 2022 to 2024 to ensure a smooth and reliable worker recruitment process.

The letter also stated that most allegations of human trafficking and money laundering were unsubstantiated and harmed Malaysia’s reputation.

To date, the Human Resources Ministry has refused to comment on the existence of the letter.

Protest letter to Anwar

Meanwhile, a local activist has sent a letter to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to protest the government’s new conditions for migrant worker recruitment.

When contacted, V Sivam, who is also a PKR member, confirmed sending the letter to Anwar.

“The process of selecting licensed agencies in this new policy is not transparent and may be biased, which could open the door to domination by a few parties, as well as the risk of a syndicate hidden amidst the approved agencies.

“This rationale is expected to affect many legitimate, long-operating local agencies with good records, as only a handful of agencies may be selected to continue operating. 

“This is considered unfair to local operators who have complied with existing regulations,” he said.

Sivam also stressed that the policy is not consistent with the spirit of openness and good governance emphasised in the Madani government’s policy, as it was made without considering the views of the industry and stakeholders and could damage Malaysia’s image in the eyes of the world.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim 

“I appeal to the prime minister to review and cancel the implementation of the policy in the memo, to ensure equal opportunities for all worker recruitment agencies and to maintain the principles of fairness, transparency and integrity in the country’s migrant labour affairs,” he said.

In September last year, it was reported that a Bangladeshi agency owner filed a police report against 103 individuals (agency owners) on allegations of being involved in a syndicate exploiting Bangladeshi citizens seeking work in Malaysia.

The police report referred to allegations of misappropriation and human trafficking linked to the process of sending workers from that country to Malaysia, through agencies chosen via the memorandum of understanding between the two countries signed on Dec 19, 2021.

More than 480,000 Bangladeshi workers entered Malaysia between 2022-2024 through the 103 agencies licensed by both governments.

Several local and Bangladeshi NGOs claimed that the decision by both countries to allow only 103 agencies to bring in migrant workers resulted in many workers being trapped by false promises after paying up to RM25,000 in recruitment fees, often through debt.

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My Opinion Piece 12th August 2025: As Anwar meets Yunus, Corrupted Bangladesh Malaysia Recruitment Corridor Needs Reform

Andy Hall, independent migrant worker rights specialist (andy@andyjhall.org)

Rahman, Bangladesh migration researcher 

Bangladeshi migrants are heroes, contributing to their nation’s economy through remittances and to countries like Malaysia through hard work and skills. The Bangladesh to Malaysia migration corridor remains the most economically significant and controversial one for both countries. 

Yet Bangladeshi workers face gross exploitation, including debt bondage and modern slavery, migrating to and working in Malaysia. 

UN experts in 2024 raised concerns about more than 500,000 of these workers promised meaningful employment but instead facing abuse at the hands of recruitment intermediaries, bogus employers, corrupt officials and failed migration management systems of both countries concerned. 

SCMP 12th Aug 2025: Malaysia-Bangladesh labour migration talks resume amid job scam fears

Malaysia placed a freeze on hiring last year after thousands of Bangladeshi workers were left stranded and exploited by recruitment scams

Original Source: SCMP by Joseph Sipalanand Hadi Azmi – 12th August 2025

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This flawed recruitment system between Bangladesh and Malaysia has involved only a few recruitment agencies, raising assumptions of corruption and impunity that undermine fair competition. 

The migration management system involving FWCMS  and Bestinet utilized for migration from Bangladesh to Malaysia is accused of non-transparent behaviour and essentially trading in human misery.  

Apart from violations of competition and anti-corruption laws, hard to prove without evidence of informal money transfers across borders, suffering of the workers facing extortionate costs and abuse is undeniable.

Workers’ migration costs generally range from 450,000 to 550,000 BDT against a legal limit of 78, 990 BDT. For impoverished villagers, this results in acute debt bondage. 

Property is mortgaged or sold, children’s education is sacrificed, health care lost. Lives destroyed. 

Recruitment intermediaries, bogus employers and corrupt officials are involved in a criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshi workers with false job promises for forced labour and modern slavery in Malaysia, using a migration management system that is shrouded in controversy and abuse. 

Once these workers arrive in Malaysia, they often become unemployed and fall into absolute destitution. Many employers are bogus and promised jobs non-existent. Workers become trapped in a living hell. 

Debt bondage, document confiscation, restricted freedom of movement, poor housing and limited access to healthcare and food. Many overstay visas and run away to change employers risking arrest, deportation and extortion by corrupt officials once they escape oppressors and protectors. Violence, persecution and powerlessness. 

Yet all the time, criminals continue to profit from this inhumane and rotten recruitment scheme. 

Due to widespread and repeated malpractices, migration from Bangladesh to Malaysia has been halted four times in 10 years, most recently last year. Around 20,000 workers were left stranded in Dhaka in 2024 when the migration corridor most recently descended into chaos. Only recently they were belatedly offered jobs in a Malaysian construction sector known to abuse. 

This labour migration corridor has always been under intense media scrutiny. We pushed the UN complaint to internationalize this issue further in 2024. 

There have also been investigations involving Interpol and the Bangladeshi and Malaysian Anti-Corruption commission against masterminds allegedly behind this scam. But still no signs of accountability or justice.

Disappointingly, as administrations change in both countries, the persistence of this flawed recruitment process outlives the leaders. This raises concern if those behind it are even more powerful than those meant to regulate it. 

Malaysia’s migration management system is often held up to criticism. Systematically corrupt and allowing impunity, the rule of law has long been undermined.  Concern is now even rising of abuses in the Nepal Malaysia migration coridoor too. 

Bangladesh’s major political parties also fail to address its broken recruitment and migration management systems that breed exploitation with little prioritization of migrant rights in their reform agendas and government budgets. 

Neither BNP’s 31-point proposal nor Jamaat-e-Islami’s 41-point plan demonstrate a strong commitment to addressing the needs of migrants but rather lack of political will to safeguard their rights. 

Stubbornly, recruitment costs paid by Bangladeshis remain some of the highest in the world.

Local media reports on two high level meetings between Bangladesh and Malaysia held in Dhaka and KL in May to discuss reopening this migration corridor suggest tragic lessons learnt from the abuse of millions of Bangladeshis in Malaysia in the past decade may still not have been fully acknowledged and acted on.

The media has reported the interim Bangladeshi administration has responded to Malaysia’s recent request to withdraw accusations and stop investigations into the Malaysia recruitment corridor by stating Malaysia was not involved in misconduct or ill-treatment. 

This misguided approach to reopening an abusive migration corridor tramples on the voices of millions of exploited workers. 

Halting investigations into an illicit recruitment system between Malaysia and Bangladesh, or claiming no one is culpable when there is just so much evidence of the harm done is cruelly denying the abuse, preventing accountability and undermining the rule of law. 

This approach only reinforces the Bangladeshi and Malaysian states’ decades old failure to protect migrant rights and reform their broken recruitment systems. It prevents the pursuit of justice and is an affront to human dignity.

The existing MoU on migration between the two nations allows for workers’ exploitation, funneling illicit profits to masterminds and undermining the rule of law. Key parts of the text should be changed. 

Instead of getting to the root cause of the problems, which lies with corruption and human cruelty, both governments appear instead to be disconnected from human suffering. They perhaps overlook exploitation or conceal abuses to save face yet ignore joint national, economic and human security interests.

Both governments will fail millions of victims of this persistently abusive migration corridor if they don’t reform it and surrender again, in the interests of political expediency, to trafficking of Bangladeshis for forced labour. 

UN organizations should again raise these concerns to both governments, as they did in early 2024. Diplomats and global supply chain actors whose operations are deeply entwined with this migration corridor should be speaking out too.

If today’s meeting between Anwar Ibrahim and Muhammad Yunus in Putrajaya, Malaysia results in abusive migration management systems winning out again between Bangladesh and Malaysia, casting basic human rights aside, it puts millions more Bangladeshis at risk of modern slavery through shameful indictment of a rotten system that refuses to change and which we all have failed to expose and regulate.

—

Kathmandu Post 8th June 2025: Nepal Malaysia migration corridor – Attempts to impose a total employment syndicate from Nepal to Malaysia have raised concerns (My Op Ed)

In 2023, more than 220,000 Nepalis went to Malaysia, the most popular destination for workers seeking income. Although Malaysia is an ‘attractive’ destination for Nepali citizens, most suffer gross exploitation in reality when migrating to and working in the country. High recruitment costs and related debt bondage, false terms of employment, and dangerous, dirty and demeaning jobs. Fake employers acting as outsourcing agents treat workers like cattle or leave them at risk of arrest, extortion and deportation. 

Attempts to impose a total employment syndicate from Nepal to Malaysia have raised concerns.

Original Source: Kathamandu Post – Published: June 8, 2025 – Andy Hall & Dhurba Mijar

Nepalis in Malaysia also experience ineffective grievance mechanisms and dire consular assistance from the Nepali Embassy, in addition to passport confiscation, limited freedom of movement, violence and even death. Security guards, a job assigned exclusively to Nepali foreign workers, face some of the worst exploitation, ranging from excessive, compulsory overtime, no day off, irregular salary payment and deductions, poor housing, to lack of access to healthcare. 

Most recently, from 2022 to 2024, the Bangladesh–Malaysia migration corridor was completely controlled by a syndicatethat led to the trafficking of Bangladeshi workers for forced labour in the country. The UN condemned this abuse in multiple statements, as workers shouldered debts of $5,000 and destitution once they arrived in Malaysia at non-existent jobs. Recruitment, travel, visa and medical check agencies were all selected to be part of the exclusive syndicate, which saw most business actors shut out.

Similarly, some syndicates have allegedly existed in Nepal’s migration processes to Malaysia for medical, visa, or security. However, migration costs from Nepal to Malaysia are lower than those from Bangladesh, and the entire recruitment system has never been syndicated. The number of agencies processing workers for migration to Malaysia was never restricted. However, similar efforts to impose a total syndicate from Nepal to Malaysia, like those in Bangladesh, have recently sparked accusations and denials. 

The Malaysian migration system is rotten. It is plagued by systemic corruption, impunity and a lack of the rule of law. There is also an absence of a long-term migration policy that equally prioritises national, economic and human security. But the recently exposed Bhutanese refugee scam and the fake visit visa scandal have revealed widespread abuse of power in Nepal, too. Nepalis are trafficked into debt and forced labour across the world, and the ministers seem increasingly complicit in this. 

Malaysia is a relatively developed country reliant on migrant labour-intensive global supply chains. It exports products made using foreign labour, such as palm oil, garments, electronics and furniture. Malaysia is obliged, at least on paper, to adhere to international Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) frameworks. Any form of syndicate when recruiting workers into its global supply chains that increases recruitment costs, forced labour and debt bondage risks, and dilutes transparency and fair competition raises questions about its commitment to ESG principles.

Migrant debt bondage due to exorbitant recruitment costs resulted in the US Customs and Border Protection placing a forced labour import ban on several prominent Malaysian companies from 2020 onwards. These companies paidmillions to workers, with the highest amount to those from Bangladesh, as reimbursement for recruitment costs to victims of abuse to clear their names.

If a total syndicate is implemented to tightly control who can process workers for migration within the Nepal-Malaysia migration corridor, it will lead to cronyism, processing delays and higher costs. Political coalitions in the country could also disintegrate over corruption controversies. This would not only affect the Nepali government and its workers, but also responsible Malaysian employers. 

Despite significant implementation weaknesses, Nepal’s lower-cost recruitment policies attracted responsible Malaysian companies to hire Nepalis rather than Bangladeshis until May 2024, when all recruitment was suspended due to systemic irregularities and abuse. However, if a syndicate is implemented for Nepal, decent companies in Malaysia will shun recruiting Nepalis for alternatives where syndicates are not active.

This would leave Nepalis migrating to Malaysia only for jobs in sectors that do not prioritise worker welfare and are not linked to global supply chains, such as security, cleaning, local restaurants, construction and local manufacturing. The syndicate will burden Nepalis financially, ensuring higher recruitment costs whilst profiting corrupt actors. Illegal transactions of laundered cash to pay the demanded illicit commission in Malaysia would rise, affecting the national economy and raising questions about commitments to financial governance. 

International efforts to develop a responsible recruitment framework focused on Malaysia’s migration corridor were most successful in Nepal. If a recruitment syndicate is implemented, these achievements will be lost, and Nepalis will face a sad situation similar to that of Bangladeshis.

Discussions are underway about only letting a few manpower agencies participate in a syndicate. This means others will be excluded from Malaysia’s labour market, forced to lay off staff or close. This would violate Nepal’s Constitution and the Competition Promotion and Market Protection Act of 2007, guaranteeing citizens the right to sell goods and services fairly and competitively. Any syndicate could and would be challenged in the Supreme Court.

However, it is necessary to end unhealthy competition and corrupt practices of most manpower agencies in Nepal, such as paying higher commissions to secure manpower demands over competitors at any cost to workers or Malaysian agents or employers.

The 2018 MoU signed between Nepal and Malaysia concerning recruitment, employment and repatriation of Nepali workers helped slightly to promote dignified labour migration. However, both governments’ lack of concern in reviewing the agreement, which expired last year, raises doubts about their commitment to worker welfare.

Despite the necessity of discussions on improving the welfare of workers migrating from countries like Nepal and Bangladesh to Malaysia, we are forced to focus on preventing monopolistic practices that threaten workers’ most basic rights.

Any non-transparent monopoly in Nepal’s migrant worker recruitment processes will harm the country’s remittance-dependent economy. If everyone remains silent as recruitment syndicates develop, the exploitation of Nepalese will deepen.

Nepal’s recruitment industry should engage the government to develop more responsible recruitment systems for Malaysian and other key destination countries for Nepali workers. The government of Nepal should also ensure its cabinet ministers do not sign unfair agreements and instead take the lead in building collective efforts with other migrant source countries, like Bangladesh, to stand against the bullying tactics of corrupt groups—both in Malaysia and Nepal—that may be seeking to expand a recruitment syndicate.

Nepal should strengthen ethical recruitment processes to impose upon destination countries that are desperate for loyal and hard-working Nepali nationals. Similarly, Malaysia, in coordination with countries like Nepal, must reform its rotten migration management systems and prioritise on worker welfare, ensuring transparency, and fulfil its obligations as a developed nation to stop the spread of exploitation, impunity and a lack of rule of law into recruitment experiences of the region’s most vulnerable migrant workers.

Andy Hall

Hall is an independent migrant worker rights specialist.

Dhurba Mijar

Mijar is the director and founder of Migration Dristi.

Related Background Articles

Business Standard 15th August 2025:Bangladesh, Malaysia have agreed to establish transparent recruitment system for workers – Bangladesh Chief Advisor Yunus

Bernama 14th August 2025: Bangladesh, Malaysia push for transparent hiring of workers (Bangla version here) 

Daily Star 14th Aug 2025: Chief Advisor’s Malaysia Tour Boosts Dhaka KL Ties But Migrant Worker Issues Sidelines

Daily Star 12th August 2025: Human trafficking charges – CID clears ex-minister, secy after KL’s request

Daily Star 12th Aug 2025: Migration rights groups alarmed over possible clearing of Malaysia recruitment syndicate suspects

August 12th 2025 Bangla Tribune: Bangladesh Civil Society for Migrants (BCSM) demands open and transparent sending of workers to Malaysia

Malaysiakini 11th August 2025: Alleged members of Bangladeshi workers’ syndicate may walk: Report

Business Standard 10th August 2025: As Anwar and Yunus meet in Malaysia today, recruitment syndicate actors cleared of misconduct, news report suggests – Malaysia labour ‘syndicate’: Lotus Kamal’s family, 3 ex-AL MPs cleared of exploitation charges

Business Standard 1st August 2025: Malaysia to hire workers who missed last year’s deadline in construction, traditional sectors: Bangladesh mission in KL

Malaysiakini 31 July 2025 – ‘Source: Bangladesh to stop probing migrant workers’ exploitation syndicate’

Kathmandu Post 8th June 2025: Nepal Malaysia migration corridor – Attempts to impose a total employment syndicate from Nepal to Malaysia have raised concerns (My Op Ed)

Malaysiakini 7th June 2025: Duped, deported, and in debt: Nepal’s migrant worker trap

TBS 23rd May 2025: Malaysia to reopen labour market to Bangaldeshi migrants, syndicate stays but may expand agency list

20th May 2025: BAIRA faction alleged attack during press briefing against Malaysian labour market syndicate

Daily Star 19th May 2025: ‘Job scam’ – 33 Bangladeshis sue Malaysian firm, govt for Tk 4.8cr

FMT 18th May 2025: 33 Bangladeshi migrant workers sue Malaysian recruitment firm, Malaysian govt over job scam from alleged syndicate trafficking Bangladeshi workers for forced labour in Malaysia

16th May 2025 Channel News Asia (CNA): Malaysia to resume recruitment of stranded Bangladeshi workers, vows to protect them from abuse, fraud

16th May 2025: Conditions on manpower export after Amin Noor was indicted – Malaysia calls for withdrawal of all controversial cases against 100 agencies designated by government

Daily Star 16th May 2025: Malaysia job market – Bangladeshis may be given preference

Star 16th May 2025: Malaysia committed to protecting Bangladeshi workers from exploitation, says Saifuddin

Daily Sun 16th May 2025: Malaysian labour market beckons Bangladeshis again

New Nation 16th May 2025: Malaysia labour market set to reopen

Bloomberg EXCLUSIVE 15th May 2025: Malaysia Asks Bangladesh to Withdraw Migrant Labor Probes

FMT 15th May 2025: Bangladesh clears Malaysia of labour abuse claims

Daily Star Editorial 15th May 2025: Don’t let Malaysia recruitment syndicates exploit migrants again – Workers’ rights must be prioritised during bilateral talks

SCMP 15th May 2025: Malaysia, Bangladesh urged to act on labour trafficking before ending migrant worker freeze

FMT 15th May 2025: Malaysia asks Bangladesh to withdraw migrant labour probes (taken from Bloomberg media) 

Daily Star 15th May 2025: Bangladesh Malaysia agrees to recruit ‘large number’ of Bangladeshi workers

Daily Star 14th May 2025: Bangladeshi migrants in malaysia: Dhaka’s uphill battle to break syndicate chains

Daily Sun 15th May 2025: REOPENING OF MALAYSIAN LABOUR MARKET – A new deal or another compromise with syndication?

TBS 14th May 2025: Rights body urges syndicate-free hiring as expatriate adviser visits Malaysia

FMT 14th May 2025: Malaysia-Bangladesh labour talks must address cartel issues, says ex-MP as Bangladeshi Expatriates Advisor Arrives in Malaysia

ProthomAlo 18th April 2025: Bangladesh: Awami League supporters are dropping out, but the ‘Malaysia Circle’ is trying to form again

FMT 7th Apr 2025: Activist warns of syndicate threat to migrant labour reforms in Malaysia

TBS 8th May 2025: Halt Malaysia worker flow if syndicate persists: Labour stakeholders to govt

Bangla News 24 8th 2025: Fraud in manpower export to Malaysia
That dream is still elusive (Bangladeshi Language)

Aliran 8th May 2025: Breaking a 30-year monopoly on Malaysia’s migrant worker medical testing syndicate: Why Fomema should not dominate foreign worker medical screenings in the future – calling for an end to Malaysian foreign worker healthcare/recruitment syndicate

Ratopati 8th May 2025: Foreign employment: Syndicate of manpower professionals in Nepal tries to exclusively send migrant workers to Malaysia (Nepali language) 

Madhyahana Daily 7th May 2025: There Is No Possibility Of Forming A Syndicate In Nepal Malaysian Employment: Nepal Labor Minister Bhandari Statement

SajhaSabal 6th May 2025: Foreign Employment Nepal – Malaysia Employment: Are Recruitment Syndicate Operators in Nepal and Malaysia More Powerful Than the Government? Whose Plan Is This? (Bangladeshi Malaysia like recruitment syndicate fears hit Nepal Malaysia recruitment market) (Nepali Language)

5th May 2025 Daily Star: BAIRA urges govt to reopen Malaysian labour market

5th May 2025 Kalerkantho: Fraud in manpower export to Malaysia – 8 billion taka of workers’ money in Swapan’s pocket

5th May Prothomalo: Bangladesh Memorandum to the Chief Advisor – Demand to open Malaysia’s labor market to all legal agencies

Kalerkantho 1 May, 2025: Swapan-Amin’s luxurious life with workers’ money from Bangladesh/Malaysia migrant worker recruitment scam

Kalerkantho 01 May, 2025: Bangladeshi Workers are living inhumane lives in Bangladesh without getting their money back due to Malaysian recruitment syndicate/scam

30th April 2025 Kalerkantho: Swapan-Amin cycle active again – Fraud in manpower export to Malaysia

5th Nov 2024: Bloomberg – Bangladesh Asks Malaysia to Arrest Businessmen in Migrant Trafficking Case

PSM/Rani Rasiah 11th Nov 2024 – Extradition call – Justice in sight for migrant worker recruitment fraud victims?

Daily Star 11th Nov 2024: Dhaka, KL must act to end trafficking

FMT 10th Nov 2024: Govt wants Dhaka to clarify extradition request for duo

FMT 7th Nov 2024: Silence not an option, govt told, as Bangladesh seeks duo’s extradition

Free Malaysia Today 6th Nov 2024: Bestinet founder denies misconduct amid report of extradition

CNA 6th Nov 2024: Bangladesh asks Malaysia to arrest and extradite 2 businessmen over alleged migrant worker trafficking and extortion

Commentary: Anwar faces political tricky situation in tackling migrant labour issues

Corruption crackdown in Bangladesh sends tremors through Malaysia’s migrant labour ecosystem

Malaysia’s bid to revamp hiring of foreign workers faces pushback; activists say country’s reputation at stake

6th Nov 2024: Malaysiakini – Amid extradition call, Bestinet founder denies money laundering claim

Malaysiakini 5th Nov 2024: Bangladesh wants M’sia to extradite Bestinet founder, associate

UCA News 7th Oct 2024: Ending Bangladeshi workers’ Malaysian plight is a test for their leaders

Daily Star 6th Oct 2024: Anwar ibrahim’s visit: A chance to root out graft from labour hiring

SCMP 5th Oct 2024: Malaysia must slash fees, smash cartels to reopen Bangladesh labour market – rights groups

5th Oct 2024: Benar News – Malaysia’s PM Anwar promises Bangladeshi migrant workers will be treated fairly

Reuters Oct 4th 2024: Malaysia PM Anwar Ibrahim to visit Bangladesh, focus on labour issues

Benar News Oct 4th 2024: PM pledges priority for Bangladesh migrant workers who missed out

Daily Star Oct 5th 2024: Diplomacy – Malaysia entry debacle – Anwar Ibrahim to consider issue of Bangladeshi workers

Daily Star Oct 5th 2024: Amending MoU on Malaysia-bound Bangladeshi workers can bring a sea change

Daily Star 5th Oct 2024: 
Labour Export – President seeks support from Malaysia

New Age Oct 5th 2024: Malaysian PM pledges new entry of 18,000 migrant workers from Bangladesh

20th Sept 2024: Prothmalo – Aminul and Ruhul Amin involved in alleged migrant worker syndicate money ‘laundering’ to Malaysia

20th Sept 2024: Scoop – MACC’s Bestinet probe is ‘NFA’, no proof of other money-laundering claims: Azam Baki

20th Sept 2024: Malaysiakini – Bestinet denies money laundering allegations

Daily Star Sept 7th 2024: Dismantling the recruitment syndicate for Malaysian labour market

FMT 7th July 2024: Use independent experts for migrant system audit, says anti-graft group

MALAYSIAKINI 6th July 2024 C4CENTER COMMENT: Massive migrant labour recruiting issues, cops must probe

NST 6th July 2024: Probe foreign labour recruitment misgovernance highlighted by PAC, govt urged

FMT 6th July 2024: Anti-corruption watchdog demands action over govt-Bestinet deal

Malay Mail 6th July 2024: Home minister says will review PAC criticism over migrant worker system launched without contract

6th July 2024: Migration to Malaysia – Money of all workers who failed to depart as part of alleged criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshi workers for forced labour in Malaysia to be refunded

Star 5th July 2024: Mutual termination clause in Bestinet contract puts Putrajaya in ‘challenging position’, says Public Accounts Committee report

4th July 2024 BSS News – Expatriates Minister Shofiqur directs returning money to workers who failed to go to Malaysia

4th July 2024 New Age – Bangladeshi Agencies must refund workers unable to go to Malaysia by July 18: ministry

FMT 4th July 2024: Govt urged to heed PAC’s call on migrant worker system

Star 4th July 2024: Human Resources Ministry to conduct internal audit

Star 4th July 2024: PAC uncovers serious flaws

FMT 3rd July 2024: Decide quickly on direction of migrant worker system in Malaysia, Public Accounts Committee tells govt

Vibes 3rd July 2024: Foreign worker management system operating 6 years without a contract 

3rd July 2024: The Edge – Public Accounts Committee chastises govt for running foreign worker recruitment system for six years without contract

Malaysiakini 3rd July 2024: BESTINET Probe – Public Accounts Committee chief says ‘Datuk Amin’ not among witnesses

3rd July 2024: The Star – Bestinet told Public Accounts Committee unauthorised users were approved by HR Ministry personnel, report shows

FMT 2nd July 2024: Tenaganita letter to Editor – TIP upgrade no cause for celebration just yet

30th June 2024: Somoy News – Bangladeshi High Court orders disclosure of action on Malaysia migrant worker scam (with 500,000+ victims) in 7 days

Malay Mail 25th June 2024: Home minister sees good things for Malaysian businesses after upgrade to US trafficking ranking

The Star 25th June 2024: Malaysia will strive to reach Tier 1 in Trafficking In Persons report, says Saifuddin

Scoop 25th June 2024: Nation’s improved Tier 2 human trafficking ranking ‘dangerously misleading’, says activist

See also MALAYSIAKINI 25th June 2024: M’sia doesn’t deserve Tier 2 in US human trafficking ranking – activist

Daily Star 26th June 2024: Rights activists criticise Malaysia’s improved ranking

See also Benar News 24th June 2024: Malaysia advances in US State Dept’s world rankings for anti-human trafficking efforts

See also FMT 24th June 2024: Malaysia upgraded to Tier 2 in US human trafficking report

See also Benarma 25th June 2024: Malaysia upgraded to Tier 2 in U.S. TIP Report

See also Focus Malaysia 25th June 2024: Migrant workers’ activist – Malaysia doesn’t deserve Tier 2 upgrade in 2024 US human trafficking report

See also 25th June 2024: Home Ministry welcomes country’s Tier 2 upgrade on Trafficking in Persons 2024 report

See also FMT 25th June 2024: Home ministry open to working with NGOs against human trafficking

See also Star 25th June 2024: Malaysia upgraded to Tier 2 in latest Trafficking in Persons report

SCMP 25th June 2024: Malaysia’s upgrade in US human trafficking index decried as ‘disappointing’ amid migrant worker woes

24th June 2024 Exclusive Analysis: CNA – Extension of Malaysia’s controversial migrant labour ecosystem (involving BESTINET) a blow to PM Anwar’s reform agenda 

See New Strait Times 24th June 2024: Malaysian Government Forms Committee to Review Terms of Bestinet’s 3 Year Extension

FMT 24th June 2024: Bestinet contract extended, confirms Saifuddin – ‘Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail says the Cabinet decided in principle on the extension ‘several weeks ago’.

Malay Mail 24th June 2024: Home Minister – Bestinet keeps foreign worker system contract for three more years, but with stricter terms

Bernama News 24th June 2024: Committee set up to Peruse Terms and Conditions of BESTINET Contract

FMT 24th June 2024: Bestinet to surrender control of workers management system under new deal

FMT 24th June 2024: Bestinet should be phased out eventually, says ex-MP

Malaysianist 18th June 2024: Minting money from a migrant services monopoly (click to subscribe for full article)

9th June 2024 Daily Star – Labour Recruitment from Bangladesh to Malaysia: Syndicate wins, migrants suffer, country loses(excellent summary how bad triumphed, carnage resulted – Bangladesh and Malaysia MUST be downgraded to Tier 3 in the upcoming U.S. TIP report!)

Dhaka Tribune 11th June 2024: Deadline extended for Malaysia migration hurdle complaints

Business Standard 11th June: Unrest within Baira over Malaysian labour market, ruckus in AGM as committee members assaulted 

Observer 9th June 2024: Around 2,900 complaints lodged by deprived Malaysia-bound migrants

Malaysianist 6th June 2024: The fat cat ruling the Malaysian migrant services roost(allegations of systemic corruption involving Malaysia’s migrant worker management systems – click to subscribe)

Business Standard 5th June 2024: Govt to take action over failure in sending workers to Malaysia: PM Hasina

4th June 2024 Daily Star (Op Ed): Break the syndicates, not the dreams of Malaysia-bound workers

SCMP 4th June 2024 – In Malaysia, business and human rights must go hand in hand, UN rights chief says in KL press conference against backdrop of systemic migrant worker abuses

New Straits Times 4th June 2024: Human rights-centric practices essential for foreign investment, says UN

4th June 2024 Business Standard: NHRC orders probe into alleged embezzlement of Tk150cr from Malaysia-bound workers

4th June 2024 Business Standard: 47,809 Bangladeshis flew to Malaysia in May – highest since labour market reopened in 2022

Daily Sun 3rd June: IRREGULARITIES IN MIGRATION TO MALAYSIA – Recruiting agencies never made accountable(good historical summary)

Business Standard 4th June 2024:Dhaka-20, Feni-2 MPs deny allegations of involvement in embezzling money from Malaysia-bound workers

SCMP 3rd June 2024: ‘Nothing left for me’ as thousands of Bangladeshi workers lose everything in failed bid to work in Malaysia

Daily Star Editorial 3rd June 2024: Must our migrants pay the price every time?

Prothomalo 3rd June 2024 – Bangladesh Labour market: Hapless workers lose all vying to go to Malaysia

Daily Sun 3rd June 2024: IRREGULARITIES IN MIGRATION TO MALAYSIA: Recruiting agencies never made accountable

FMT 3rd June 2024: 17,000 Bangladeshi workers stranded, Dhaka pleads for time

Daily Star 3rd June 2024: 16,970 Bangladeshis failed to reach Malaysia for mismanagement, more destitution and modern slavery will result

Daily Star 3rd June 2024 – Bangladeshi Migrant Worker Exploitation and Malaysian Labour Market Alleged Criminal Syndicate: The agencies picked by KL to blame, Bangladesh tells UN OHCHR

Daily Star 2nd June 2024: Controversial recruitment system to stay 3 more years

Daily Star 2nd June – Jobs in Malaysia: Mismanagement left over 3k workers with no ticket to KL

Daily Star 1st June 2024: Must history repeat itself with the Malaysian labour market’s alleged criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshi migrant workers for forced labour

MALAYSIAKINI June 1st 2024: Controversial worker management system BESTINET gets new lease, sources say

1st June 2024 Kalerkantho: Malaysia’s dream ends in deprivation for Bangladeshi migrant workers of criminal syndicate

FMT 31st May 2024: Expect Bangladeshi workers to be stranded and at high risk of modern slavery following Malaysian migration management deadline rush, warns activist

SCMP 31st May 2024: Malaysians shocked by thousands of Bangladeshis crowding at airport to beat deadline for legal work, as UN and activists warn of increased modern slavery risks

CNA 31st May 2024: Over 30,000 workers set to miss deadline to enter Malaysia even as officials clear backlog at KL airport

Prothomalo 31 May 2024 – Bangladesh – Malaysia’s labour market: Repeated syndicates, repeated closure

Prothomalo 31st May 2024: Bangladesh – Thousands of people crowded Dhaka airport without flight tickets to go to Malaysia

31st May 2024 FMT: Govt reaffirms commitment to protect migrant workers’ rights to UN

31st May 2024: The closure of the labor market in Malaysia has shattered the dreams of 31,000 workers

Daily Star 31 May 2024 – Recruitment in Malaysia: Syndicate siphons over $1b out of Bangladesh

Daily Sun 31st May 2024: Biman sends 2,000 migrant workers to Malaysia

Business Standard 31st May 2024: Malaysia-bound workers scammed, stranded at Dhaka airport as deadline set to expire today

Daily Star 30th May 2024: Manpower syndicates beyond Dhaka-KL control

30th May 2024: Comment by Andy Hall, independent migrant worker rights specialist, on ongoing migrant worker management crisis in Malaysia and at KLIA airport today, Bangladeshi workers at high risk of modern slavery

CNA 30th May 2024: ‘Congestion’ at KL airport as employers scramble to bring in thousands of migrant workers before deadline

MALAYSIAKINI 30th May 2023: ‘Migrants influx at KLIA due to employers chasing deadline’

30th May 2024 Benar News: Malaysia’s labor market closed – Migrant workers flock to airports in all countries

29th May Daily Star: Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia – Hiring begins with bribery (UN independent experts say Bangladeshi workers pay up to 8 times for migration alone due to corruption of Malaysia ministries, Bangladesh mission and syndicates)

29th May Daily Star: Airfare to Malaysia surges fivefold

FMT 28th May 2024: Malaysia yet to respond to UN concerns on alleged criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshi migrant victims for forced labour in the country(with my full statement included)

For Immediate Release 27th May 2024: Statement by Andy Hall, Independent Migrant Worker Rights Specialist, on today’s public release of UN OHCHR’s unanswered urgent appeal communications to the Malaysian and Bangladeshi Governments 

30th May Star: Cyclone smashes Bangladeshi workers’ hopes, extension requested

Channel News Asia 25th May 2024: Malaysia’s bid to revamp hiring of foreign workers through controversial BESTINET process faces pushback; activists say country’s reputation at stake

22nd May 2024: UN expert – Malaysian law enforcement mixing up human trafficking, migrant smuggling – “What steps has Malaysia taken to investigate alleged complicity of public officials in human trafficking?’’

20th May 2024 FMT: Duped Bangladeshi workers won’t impact Malaysia’s US Human trafficking report ranking, says HR Minister Sim

Malay Mail 17th May 2024: Pengerang employer to face Labour Court in Malaysia after failing for months to pay Bangladeshi workers’ wages over RM1m (government statements and my comments included – months on, court agreed mediation settlement unforced, workers allegedly remain in situation akin to acute modern slavery)

16th May 2024: Firm that left over 700 Bangladeshi workers to dry in Pengerang facing possible prosecution (months on, court agreed mediation settlement unforced, workers allegedly remain in situation akin to acute modern slavery)

14th May 2024: FMT – Activists warn of US trafficking report downgrade for Malaysia amid UN criticism

May 10th 2024 The Star: Malaysian Government responds to OHCHR, IOM, ILO and UNODC joint condemnation on alleged Bangaldeshi migrant worker criminal syndicate by pledging to set up special unit handling migrant workers’ grievances, says HR Minister Sim

9th May 2024: Study: 96% of Bangladeshi workers going to Malaysia fall into recruitment debt– The study also said that 82% had two or more loans and 73% of workers spent at least 50% to 100% of their monthly salary to repay recruitment debts

4th May 2024: UN agencies concerned over Bangladeshi workers stranded in Malaysia – Joint Statement of ILO, IOM and UNODC on Alleged Criminal Syndicate Trafficking Bangladeshi Workers for Forced Labour in Malaysia

24th April 2024: Address plight of duped Bangladeshi migrant workers in Malaysia in response to UN warning, govt told (more on the ongoing saga of an alleged criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshi migrant workers for forced labour in Malaysia)

19th April 2024: UN (OHCHR) Statement on Alleged Criminal Syndicate Trafficking Bangladeshi Workers for Forced Labour in Malaysia – ‘Malaysia: Bangladeshi workers must be protected from exploitation and criminalisation, say UN experts’

FMT 19th April 2024: UN experts sound alarm over plight of duped Bangladeshi migrants in Malaysia

For more on Andy Hall’s complaint to the OHCHR see 30th Oct 2023: FMT: Andy Hall refers stranded Bangladeshi workers’ plight in Malaysia to UN Human Rights Council

See Daily Star 23rd Apr 2024: Bangladesh Plight of Migrant Workers – Bangladesh, Malaysia working group meeting likely in May

See Daily Star Editorial 23rd Apr 2024: When even legal migrants suffer – Workers migrating to Malaysia legally deserve better protection 

Business Standard 23rd April 2024: Expat Ministry reviews UN complaints on Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia

Prothomalo 23rd April 2024: Bangladesh – Ministry reviewing allegations over Malaysia labour market

BenarNews Malay Language: Pakar PBB gesa Malaysia tangani layanan buruk diterima pekerja Bangladesh (UN expert urges Malaysia to handle bad treatment received by Bangladeshi workers)

Daily Star 19th Apr 2024: UN experts express dismay over situation of Bangladeshi migrants in Malaysia

FMT 19th Apr 2024: PSM, news portal set aside order to stop debate on migrant workers’ plight

Daily Star Editorial 17th April 2024: Save our migrants in Malaysia (more on the crisis caused by an alleged criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshi workers for forced labour in Malaysia)

9th April 2024 The Star – Bangladeshi victims of criminal syndicate trafficking worked for forced labour in Malaysia: ‘Cops after workers, not rogue employers’

7th April 2024: SCMP – As Malaysia’s door closes on low-paid migrant workers, companies scramble for staff (and a systemically corrupt migration management and recruitment policy, devoid of the rule of law and leading to impunity and gross exploitation, is revealed)

6th April 2024 Daily Star: A hostel of nightmares for Bangladeshi migrants allegedly trafficked by criminal syndicate for forced labour in Malaysia (and Daily Star Op Ed)

Daily Star Editorial 6th Apr 2024: What will happen to migrants abandoned in Malaysia?

26th March 2024: The Star – Freeze on foreign workers hiring quota in Malaysia stays for now, says HR Minister (with estimated 200,000+ surplus foreign workforce victims facing destitution and abuse)

25th March 2024: Bangladeshi workers (alleged victims of criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshi workers for forced labour in Malaysia) claim being coerced into withdrawing police and labour complaints

Daily Star 25th Mar: Malaysia employer framed Bangladeshi workers

Daily Star 24th Mar 2024: Jailed in Malaysia – 3 Bangladesh workers released

Editorial Prothomalo 24th Mar 2024: Malaysian labour market – Take action against the fraud syndicate

FMT 23rd March 2024: PSM calls on Sim to look into arrest of Bangladeshi workers

MALAYSIAKINI 23 Mar 2024: Stranded foreign workers (alleged victims of criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshi workers for forced labour in Malaysia) nabbed after labour complaints against employer

23rd March 2024 The Star: Half a million vulnerable and irregular foreign workers disappear from Malaysia’s migrant worker regularization programme as deadline looms in one week

23 Mar 2024 The Star: Verification rate lags as RTK 2.0 deadline approaches

22nd March 2024 Malay Mail: Home minister – Over RM9m in fines collected so far through migrant repatriation programme

22nd March 2024 Protomalo: Malaysian labour market set to be closed again due to syndication

20th March 2024: 93 duped/detained Bangladeshi migrant workers in Malaysia have jobs now, says immigration DG

20th Mar 2024 Business Standard: Bangladeshi workers’ plight in Malaysia: Coalition of migration orgs demand action against recruiting agency syndicate

19th March 2024: FMT – Plantation firms wary of ‘forced labour’ concerns in hiring 200,000 surplus foreign workers/criminal syndicate victims in Malaysia, says minister – indeed he’s right, who wants to take on destitute foreign workers often with US$4-7000 in debt?

17th March 2024: FMT – Malaysia’s treatment of migrant workers utterly shameful

New Age 16th Mar 2024: Bangladeshi government must mend issues to keep Malaysia job market open

15th March 2024 SCMP: Malaysians deride minister’s idea to rebrand palm oil workers as ‘specialised harvesters’

14th March 2024: The Star – Opinion: When work in Malaysia is a con – the criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshis for forced labour in Malaysia

FMT 13th March 2024: Bangladeshi migrants file police reports after falling victim to job scam/criminal syndicate trafficking workers from Bangladesh for forced labour in Malaysia

12th March 2024: SCMP – Malaysia to slash migrant workforce amid intolerance, job scam crisis involving Bangladeshi labourers

FMT 11th Mar 2024: Duped migrant jobseekers, victims of alleged criminal syndicate trafficking Bangaldeshi workers to Malaysia for forced labour, face mental health issues, says Malaysian ex-MP

Daily Star Editorial 10th March 2024: Migrating to a life of unemployment

Daily Star 10th Mar 2024: Distressed in Malaysia – Thousands of Bangladeshi migrants jobless, unpaid or underpaid 

9th March 2024: Malay Mail – Activists warn rushed 31st March visa deadline in Malaysia could force firms to source foreign workers unethically (includes my commentary on the abrupt policy change)

9th Mar 2024 The Star: No extension of May 31 foreign worker deadline

NST 9th Mar 2024: Keep recruitment agencies in a list rather than shutting them down, govt told   

See also NST 9th Mar 2024: Sourcing migrant workers takes time, ‘not like buying cattle’, employer groups tell govt

NST 8th Mar 2024: Eliminate middlemen from migrant worker recruitment process, govt told

Star 8th Mar 2024: May 31 deadline for foreign workers recruitment under recalibration programme remains, says Saifuddin

Malay Mail 8th Mar 2024: Saifuddin Nasution: No more agents for Bangladeshi worker recruitment

6th Mar 2024: Malaysian government halts foreign worker entry into the country from 31st May 2024 (final calling visa/VDN approval issuance deadline 31st March 2024) as migrant worker management crisis worsens and victims of gross exploitation, unemployment and destitution rise significantly

6th March 2024: Business Times –Sudden change in foreign worker policy by Malaysian government leaves industry in limbo

6th Mar 2024 Edge: Foreign worker intake deadline changes will leave manufacturers in the lurch, says FMM

6th Mar 2024 FMT: Industry players shocked by foreign worker policy change, says FMM

Mar 5 2024: NCCIM urges govt to review unused foreign worker quota deadline

4th March 2024 URGENT call for donations/support: joining forces with HOPE SELANGOR to fill gap in providing humanitarian aid and assistance to victims of criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshi workers into forced labour in Malaysia

Mar 3rd 2024: Concern on repatriation of potential trafficking and forced labour/abuse victims under Malaysian Migrant Worker Repatriation Programme Commencing 1st March 2024 (Statement by Andy Hall, Independent Migrant Worker Rights Specialist)

FMT 3rd Mar 2024: Ensure ‘crooks’ do not gain from repatriation programme, says activist

Mar 2nd 2024 The Star: A chance for illegals to go home

Mar 2nd 2024 The Star: Sarawak immigration extends RTK2.0 until June

Mar 1st 2024 FMT: 600,000 foreign workers urged to take easy exit home

Mar 1st 2024 The Star: Use repatriation programme to return home, 600,000 illegals told

Feb 28th 2024 The Star: New programme lets migrants off the hook without being prosecuted

Feb 25th 2024 The Star: Businesses want foreign worker hiring freeze lifted

Jan 31st 2024 NST: Govt to implement Migrant Repatriation Programme starting March

Jan 31st 2024 The Edge: Cabinet agrees to extend freeze on hiring of foreign workers, says home minister 

31st Jan 2024 FMT: Migrant repatriation programme set for March 1

31st Jan 2024 The Star: Migration Repatriation Programme to commence on March 1, says Home Ministry

FMT 6th Jan 2024: 171 duped migrant workers deserve compensation, govt told (includes my full statement)

5th Jan 2024: New Strait Times – MCA: Don’t just fine employers, hold ministry accountable as well for unemployed foreign workers

FMT 30th Dec 2023: Migrants being duped into Malaysia because of govt’s failure to curb criminal trafficking syndicates and organised crime network, says activist Andy Hall

30th Dec 2023: New Strait Times – Recruitment agencies accused of deception as Bangladeshi victims speak out on exploitation and fear

29th Dec 2023: Malay Mail – Set up probe on exploitation of migrant workers and new ministry to manage their affairs, Suhakam tells Putrajaya

28th Dec 2023: FMT – Malaysia has entered ‘slave labour’ territory, says ex-MP – Charles Santiago calls for specific set-ups to manage migrant workers 

27th Dec 2023: New Strait Times – MTUC demand govt, MACC probe into corrupt recruitment practices of foreign workers

26th Dec 2023: FMT – High recruitment fees make greedy agents bring in workers, says group

25th Dec 2023: FMT – Probe recruitment agents, MACC told after arrest of Bangladeshis

22nd Nov 2023: MALAYSIAKINI – Full probe of migrant worker syndicate, Malaysian HR Minister Sivakumar says

9th Nov 2023: Malaysia – The State of the Nation: Flaws of foreign worker system laid bare in declassified report

30th Oct 2023: FMT: Andy Hall refers stranded Bangladeshi workers’ plight in Malaysia to UN Human Rights Council

23rd Oct 2023: RESPONSE FROM THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCES IN REGARDS TO AN ARTICLE BY MR. ANDY HALL/HR Minister – strict actions against employers who fail to comply with Malaysia’s labour and immigration laws

20th Oct 2023 Malaysiakini: Long-awaited foreign worker management report declassified in Malaysia (my comments added)

19th Oct 2023: Malaysia facing huge excess of 1/4 million migrant laborers

21st Sep 2023: Malaysian government has 15 source countries for foreign workers – Comments by Andy Hall

20th Sep 2023: Rate of abused Bangladeshi workers’ entry into Malaysia worrying, says migrant rights activist Andy Hall

12th July 2023: excellent final offering from a 4 part account of atypical modern-day slavery, forced labour and abuse perpetrated against a group of migrant workers from Bangladesh in Malaysia, written concisely and passionately by former MP from Malaysia Charles Santiago

Aljazeera News TV 10th July 2023 – Migrants in Malaysia: Hundreds left stranded in recruitment scam

The post United Nations (UN) NEWS RELEASE 21 Nov 2025 – Malaysia: UN experts sound alarm over continued systematic exploitation of Bangladeshi migrant workers in Malaysia (alleged criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshi workers for forced labour in Malaysia) appeared first on Andy Hall.

Diplomacy

Daily Star 15th Nov 2025: Bangladeshi High Commission to Mediceram – ‘Reinstate 170 workers’ in Ansell global gloves supply chain alleged forced labour case in Malaysia

Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia writes to Mediceram 

DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT

Sourced from https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/diplomacy/news/reinstate-170-workers-4035261

Sat Nov 15, 2025

Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia has formally written to Mediceram, requesting the company to reinstate more than 170 migrants dismissed on October 31 and to thoroughly review the workers’ allegations.

The high commission made the statement on its Facebook page yesterday, two days after Ansell Limited — the Australia-based buying company — announced it had suspended its relationship with Mediceram, a small Malaysian supplier of ceramic formers.

Mediceram terminated 177 Bangladeshi workers on October 31 after they protested the non-renewal of work visas for more than 90 migrants.

In early November, Malaysian authorities deported 16 of the workers after Mediceram allegedly forced them to the airport.

Upon returning home, the workers formed human chains in Dhaka and Cumilla and submitted a letter to Expatriates’ Welfare Adviser Prof Asif Nazrul, seeking justice over the forced deportation.

Each migrant had spent between Tk 450,000 and Tk 600,000 to migrate to Malaysia. Many received irregular and low wages, and several had their work permits left unrenewed.

The high commission said it contacted the company’s chairman and the workers after receiving the termination notices, offering cooperation to resolve the issue peacefully. It held several rounds of discussions with both sides.

Following the restructuring of the company’s management, several positive measures improved working conditions, but some disputes remained.

In response to the High Commission’s request, Mediceram has expressed willingness to resolve the issue quickly and agreed to reinstate the striking workers immediately, subject to their return to work and clearance from Malaysian immigration.

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14th Nov 2025 Bangaldeshi High Commission KL Statement on Mediceram: Bangladeshi workers protest with Malaysian Mediceram company

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Green Left 15th Nov 2025: Complaint lodged against Ansell’s treatment of foreign workers

• Kerry Smith

Naarm/Melbourne

November 15, 2025, Issue 1443, News

Many Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia face discrimination, including those working for Ansell subsidiaries.

Read full story at: https://www.greenleft.org.au/2025/1443/news/complaint-lodged-against-ansells-treatment-foreign-workers

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Firing 177 Bangladeshis

Daily Star 14th Nov 2025: Ansell cuts ties with Malaysian Mediceram firm

DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT

Fri Nov 14, 2025

Photo: Collected

Australian buying company, Ansell Limited, has suspended its relationship with Malaysian company Mediceram, which has recently terminated 177 Bangladeshi workers and deported some of them under coercion, said Ansell in a statement on its website on November 12.

Mediceram, supplier of ceramic formers, on October 31, terminated the workers for staging protests against non-renewal of about 90 migrants.

These workers had migrated to Malaysia in 2023 but got irregular or no pay, while their work permits were not renewed on time.

In last August, Mediceram entered into a remediation agreement with its workers following concerns raised by its customers including Ansell.

Ansell said progress has been made in implementing this agreement, with more than $1 million in recruitment fees reimbursed to current workers ahead of originally agreed timelines, supported by favourable trading terms provided by Ansell.

“Ansell was therefore surprised to be informed on October 31 that Mediceram had terminated 177 foreign workers on the grounds of their refusal to work,” it said.

“In the absence of any willingness by Mediceram to reconsider, Ansell informed Mediceram on November 4, 2025 that Ansell is suspending its supplier relationship with the company.”

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12th Nov 2025: ANSELL (AUSTRALIA) SUSPENDS SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIP WITH MEDICERAM MALAYSIA OVER UNFAIR DISMISSALS AND FORCED DEPORTATION OF ALLEGED BANGLADESHI FORCED LABOUR VICTIMS

Richmond, VIC – 12 November 2025 – Ansell Limited (ASX: ANN) a global leader in protection solutions, announced it has suspended its relationship with Mediceram, a small Malaysian supplier of ceramic formers. The suspension stems from concerns about deteriorating relations between Mediceram and its foreign workers, following repeated strike actions over issues including the renewal of work visas, which remain pending with the relevant Malaysian immigration and labour authorities.

As advised in a statement last August, Mediceram entered into a remediation agreement with its workers following concerns raised by its customers including Ansell.

Progress has been made in implementing this agreement, with more than USD 1 million in recruitment fees reimbursed to current workers ahead of originally agreed timelines, supported by favourable trading terms provided by Ansell.

Ansell was therefore surprised to be informed on 31 October that Mediceram had terminated 177 foreign workers on the grounds of their refusal to work. We promptly expressed our clear view to Mediceram that this was not an appropriate course of action in these circumstances. In the absence of any willingness by Mediceram to reconsider, Ansell informed Mediceram on 4 November 2025 that Ansell is suspending its supplier relationship with the company.

Ansell will continue to engage with Mediceram on the conditions necessary for Ansell to consider reinstating the supplier relationship. These include Mediceram completing all outstanding matters in the remediation program swiftly and structurally and demonstrating a sustained commitment to safeguarding worker welfare, and ensuring all workers, particularly those terminated and awaiting repatriation, have sufficient financial support to cover living costs.

We recognise that this situation has raised concerns, and we are aware of conflicting statements regarding representation of workers’ interests that may be influencing the dialogue between Mediceram workers and management. Ansell will not engage in speculation or commentary on matters beyond our direct involvement. Our priority remains supporting constructive conversations, ensuring fair treatment, and working toward a positive resolution of outstanding issues.

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Associated Press World News 10th Nov 2025: Bangladeshi workers protest over unpaid wages and mistreatment claims in Malaysian global supply chain factories (today’s Dhaka human chain protest summaries)

WORLD NEWS

BY  JULHAS ALAM

November 10, 2025

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — About 100 Bangladeshi workers who were employed by Malaysian companies rallied Monday to demand unpaid wages, fair compensation and an end to alleged abuse by Malaysian employers.

The Migrant Welfare Network, a Bangladeshi migrant group based in Malaysia and Bangladesh, organized the protest at the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka.

The Associated Press could not immediately reach the companies for comment.

The demonstrators said the event was organized to protest what they say is widespread mistreatment of migrant workers in Malaysia, one of Southeast Asia’s richest nations. They demanded unpaid wage support and compensation for 431 Bangladeshi workers they said were exploited by two Malaysian companies, Mediceram and Kawaguchi Manufacturing.

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The exploitation of migrant workers: Mediceram and Kawaguchi – a case of insufficient enforcement?

By K. Veeriah

“About 100 Bangladesh workers who were employed by Malaysian companies rallied Monday to demand unpaid wages, for fair compensation and an end to alleged abuse by Malaysian employers” — Associated Press World News, Nov 10, 2025

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See also Daily Star 11th Nov 2025: Deported workers call for justice

PRESS RELEASE MWN EN 10th NovDownload

Press Release MWN (Bangladeshi version) 10th NovDownload

Many factories in Malaysia and other Southeast Asia countries rely on migrant workers, often from Bangladesh, Myanmar and Nepal, to fill labor-intensive jobs in manufacturing, plantations or construction. Local workers usually avoid such jobs because of their poor conditions and low wages.

The Migrant Welfare Network urged Bangladeshi and Malaysian authorities and international buyers to take immediate action to ensure workers receive wages already owed, fair compensation and “justice for systemic abuses.”

The group said in statement Monday that a complaint claiming forced labor and neglect has been filed with the Malaysian government against Australian company Ansell, a major customer of Mediceram, which manufactures gloves for medical, industrial and domestic use.

A separate complaint was filed against Kawaguchi, which supplied plastic components to large Japanese companies, including Sony Group.

In May, around 280 Bangladeshi migrant workers for Kawaguchi demanded hundreds of thousands of dollars in back wages and other money owed to them after the company closed five months earlier.

Workers at Kawaguchi’s factory in Port Klang filed complaints in Malaysia and Bangladesh claiming the company withheld their wages for up to eight months before closing after Sony and Panasonic Holdings Corp., two of Kawaguchi’s main customers, halted orders in response to allegations the workers were mistreated.

“In the beginning, they used to pay the salary in parts, meaning they would give 500–1000 ringgit (about $120-$240) per month as food expenses,” said former Kawaguchi employee Omar Faruk, who began working for the manufacturer in 2022. “After withholding the salary, the company started considering shutting down. Later, we filed a complaint at the Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia.”

Harun Or Rasid Liton, who worked at Mediceram, accused the company of not paying despite an order by the Malaysian Labor Court. 

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Photos and videos from 10th Nov innovative and impressive human chain event in Dhaka – youth power against injustice, corruption and exploitation https://www.facebook.com/share/v/16k3YYDWaz/?mibextid=wwXIfr

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“The court ruled that the company would pay us 1,000 ringgit per month, but the company paid only the first installment and then stopped paying,” he said. “Later, we had no choice but to return to Bangladesh. Now we are facing severe hardship in maintaining our families.”

There have been widespread reports of abuse of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia and disputes between employees and companies have become a diplomatic sore point between Bangladesh and Malaysia. Workers’ rights groups have demanded stringent scrutiny on the powerful group of recruitment agencies and middlemen who monopolize such jobs.

—

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Expatriates have not stopped crying today

A heartbreaking scene was seen in front of the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare

Tears in the eyes, tears in the voice, and heart full of pain for the immigrant workers victims of injustice.

Many couldn’t hold tears during human chain…

These tears of them are the symbol of demanding justice,
May this cry of theirs reach the hearts of the concerned authorities.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Cr4WoAs1P/?mibextid=wwXIfr

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PRESS RELEASE 10th November, 2025 Bangladeshi Migrant Workers Demand Justice Over Exploitation in Malaysia 

Today, the Migrant Welfare Network (MWN)—a Bangladeshi migrant network based in Malaysia and Bangladesh— organised a human chain and press conference in front of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment.

The event aimed to demand urgent support for 431 Bangladeshi workers exploited by two Malaysian companies, Mediceram Sdn. Bhd. and Kawaguchi Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd., and to draw attention to the widespread mistreatment of migrant workers in Malaysia.

MWN calls on Bangladeshi and Malaysian authorities, as well as international buyers, to take immediate action to ensure workers receive all owed wages, fair compensation, and justice for systemic abuses. We also urge the media, activists, rights community, and other relevant stakeholders to give this matter immediate attention. The Bangladeshi High Commission in Malaysia and the Expatriates Ministry in Dhaka have failed to protect victims of modern slavery, instead creating an environment of retaliation following their involvement.

Brief overview of the cases:

1. Mediceram Sdn. Bhd.: Workers suffered for years from late wages, threats, bullying, and poor living conditions. When their passports were taken, they became isolated. Without work permit renewals, many have become illegal. This is forced labour and modern slavery. The company did refund recruitment fees after several strikes and external pressures, but in 1st week of November 2025, 15 workers were forced to return home because they demanded permit renewals and repayment for former workers. Worker leaders elected by workers were deported in clear retaliation, with one escaping by fleeing. An OECD complaint has been filed against the Australian company Ansell, a major buyer from Mediceram, about forced labour and neglect. Conditions of the Bangladeshi workers at Mediceram are getting worse.
2. Kawaguchi Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd.: This company was a major supplier for global brands such as Sony, Panasonic, and Daikin. Workers paid high recruitment fees and experienced wage payment irregularities starting in 2022, with their salaries going entirely unpaid for seven months as of September 2024. After facing months of hardship and strikes, 308 Bangladeshi workers were reimbursed by the above-mentioned buyers for recruitment fees and compensation for their hardship. However, their unpaid wages remained outstanding even after the Malaysian authority (JTK) issued a consent order following a settlement meeting between the workers, JTK, and Kawaguchi management on 24th December 2024. The Taiwanese owner of Kawaguchi still owes 3 million RM to 251 migrant workers, yet the company was officially closed without settling this debt, highlighting a significant failure of the Malaysian system.

Demands: 1. Immediate compensation for Mediceram workers who were forcibly deported for demanding work permit renewal and recruitment fee reimbursement for their colleagues. 2. Stop forced deportations immediately and assist with transferring from Mediceram to a responsible employer through the legal process. 2 3. Immediate ban on Mediceram and its owner, Mr Arumugam Suppiah Datu and his companies from hiring any more Bangladeshi workers in future. 4. Ensure that all former Kawaguchi workers receive their pending wages in accordance with the JTK consent order, and that former Mediceram workers are reimbursed for their recruitment fees. 5. We call for a reformation of the performance of the Bangladeshi High Commission, KL, in line with the genuine needs of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia, who are suffering in large numbers. 6. We call for comprehensive reform of Bangladesh’s recruitment and migration system so that safeguarding migrant workers’ rights becomes the central focus, rather than prioritising remittance generation. 7. We call for complete transparency and systemic support from international buyers to ensure the protection of migrant workers’ rights.

The Migrant Welfare Network (MWN) highlights and emphasises that “these workers have built Malaysia’s industries and supported Bangladesh’s economy through their remittances. They deserve justice—not deportation, debt, or threat.”

Nironjan, a Mediceram Workers Committee member recently deported, said: “We requested our rights as humans but were treated as second-class humans, even as animals. Our demands for salaries and recruitment fee refunds led to harassment. When we asked for legal status and reimbursement for friends, we were threatened and forced onto flights. Speaking up results in deportation, and after mass dismissals, we’re barred from seeking new employment. We have decided to keep appealing to authorities, media, activists and the public for justice.”

Omar Faruq, a former Kawaguchi worker forced to leave Malaysia due to the uncertain RTK system, said: “We suffered passport confiscation and unpaid salaries for over seven months, leaving us hungry and desperate. Our appeals to authorities brought no help. Our wages still remain unpaid as the company closed without settlement. Thousands of migrant workers face similar hardship in Malaysia. Complete reform is needed.”

Media References: ABC News (Australia): “Australian glove-maker Ansell accused of exploiting workers” (Sept 2025). Click for news link The Daily Star (Bangladesh): “Dream turns into despair for deported Mediceram workers” (6 Nov 2025). Click for news link AP News: “Migrant workers from Kawaguchi seek unpaid wages, partial repayments arranged” (May 2025). Click for news link

Contact: Migrant Welfare Network (MWN): mw.org2025@gmail.comor +8801622125270 Nironjan, Mediceram Workers Representative: +880 1938962947Omar Faruq, Kawaguchi Workers Representative: +880 1620785039 Thank you for your attention and participation!

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CwJHdN6k8/?mibextid=wwXIfr

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Daily Star 8th Nov 2025:152 Bangladeshi workers at Mediceram in Malaysia (Ansell gloves global supply chain) protest forced repatriation, appoint legal counsel 

Migrants appoint legal counsel, refuse to return to work under same management 

Star Online Report

Sat Nov 8, 2025 10:14 PM

Sourced from: https://www.thedailystar.net/nrb/migration/news/152-bangladeshi-workers-malaysia-protest-forced-repatriation-4030126

At least 152 Bangladeshi migrant workers in Malaysia today wrote an open letter, protesting forced repatriation and urging the Bangladesh mission in Kuala Lumpur, international organisations and civil society groups to intervene in their case of termination by their employer Mediceram.

About 180 Bangladeshi workers were handed termination letters on October 31 as they protested non-renewal of visas of more than 90 fellow workers.

On November 4, Malaysian authorities deported 10 of them after the gloves company executives forcibly took them to the airport in Kuala Lumpur.

On November 7, additional six Bangladeshis were deported the same way.

Meanwhile, the group of 152 workers living in fear and intimidation in Selangor district appointed Louis Liaw Chambers as their legal counsel to legally support their case and wrote an open letter to express their collective and united position regarding the ongoing situation.

“Despite continuous threats, intimidation, and the forced repatriation of our democratically elected worker representatives, we have collectively decided that we will not go back to work under the same management and conditions that violated our dignity, rights, and safety,” said the letter.

They sought an immediate transfer to a law-abiding and responsible employer in Malaysia.

“We respectfully call upon the governments of Bangladesh and Malaysia, as well as all relevant authorities, to support this transfer process urgently and ensure our continued lawful employment in Malaysia.”

They said they do not want to be forcibly sent back to Bangladesh.

“We will peacefully and lawfully resist any attempt at forced repatriation. We remain committed to abiding by the laws and regulations of Malaysia, while standing firm in our right to dignity, justice, and fair treatment,” they said.

They urge all concerned parties including the Malaysian authorities, the Bangladesh High Commission, international organisations, and civil society groups to take immediate notice of their situation and intervene to protect their fundamental rights as migrant workers.

These migrants went to Malaysia in 2023, paying amounts ranging from Tk 450,000 to Tk 600,000. The company has been irregular in payments, as well as made low pays, causing debt to the migrants.

There are about 800,000 Bangladeshis working in Malaysia, which faced criticism for approving a syndicate of 101 recruiting agencies in 2022. Between 2022 and 2024, more than 450,000 Bangladeshis migrated to Malaysia.

It suspended recruitment of foreign workers, including Bangladeshis, on May 31 last year amid allegations of syndication, excessive recruitment fees and labour abuses

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Daily Star 6th Nov 2025: Dream turns into despair for 10 deported Bangladeshi migrants from Mediceram in Malaysia (Ansell/YTY gloves supply chain factory)

Bangladesh

Porimol Palma

Mediceram in Malaysia

Thu Nov 6, 2025

Sourced from: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/dream-turns-despair-10-deported-migrants-4028131

Like many others, Sufian Khan borrowed a large sum of money, hoping to go to Malaysia to change his fortune.

He spent over Tk 4.5 lakh to make the arrangements, dreaming of a better life for his family.

But his dream soon turned into despair when he, along with nine others, was deported by Malaysian authorities early yesterday.

“I still have a loan of over Tk 1 lakh,” he told The Daily Star from Barishal.

Sufian said they were forcibly taken to Kuala Lumpur International Airport by executives of Malaysian glove manufacturing company Mediceram, based in Selangor.

The company terminated all 180 Bangladeshi workers on October 31 after they protested the non-renewal of visas for more than 90 of them.

The company terminated all 180 Bangladeshi workers on October 31 after they protested the non-renewal of visas for more than 90 of them.

Following their termination, some of the workers went to the Bangladesh High Commission seeking help, but received none.

A Mediceram executive was present at the high commission and held a meeting for about two and a half hours, while the workers were kept waiting outside, said another deportee, Nironjan. “When we finally got to speak, the high commission officials told us they could do nothing about it,” he said.

The migrants also turned to the immigration and labour departments in Kuala Lumpur, but no one accepted their complaints, said Nironjan.

“On November 4, Mediceram executives dragged us onto a bus to the airport. We were literally crying,” said Sufian.

He said Mediceram had been irregular in paying wages since they joined in April 2023 through the recruiting agency Greenland Overseas.

“We were paid as little as 200 Malaysian ringgit a month,” he said, adding that the company also failed to renew their work visas on time.

After repeated demonstrations and complaints, Mediceram eventually paid the recruitment fees, but most of the migrants were left in uncertainty and faced the threat of police detention due to expired visas.

As a result, they went on a work abstention on October 27 but were soon terminated.

Another migrant, who is still staying at Mediceram’s hostel, told this correspondent that the remaining 170 Bangladeshi workers are living in fear, as company executives have also threatened them with deportation.

Back home, the deportees say they feel abused, defrauded, and deprived of justice and have no idea what to do next.

“I have my parents and wife at home. I still owe one lakh taka. I am totally undone,” said Sufian.

Contacted, Bangladesh’s Deputy High Commissioner in Malaysia, Shahanara Monica, said the mission has sent a report to Dhaka regarding the incident.

“Until we hear back from them, we cannot make any comment,” she said yesterday evening.

There are around 800,000 Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia, including 450,000 who migrated between 2022 and 2024 through a syndicate of 101 recruiting agencies.

Recruitment has remained suspended since May last year

Daily Star 5th Nov 2025: Malaysia’s Mediceram, in Ansell’s global gloves supply chain, forcibly and involuntarily sends back 10 Bangladeshis

Glove manufacturer earlier terminated 190 Bangladeshis for protesting exploitative practices 

Sourced from: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/malaysias-mediceram-sends-back-10-bangladeshis-4027116

Star Online Report

Wed Nov 5th 2025

Photo: Collected

The Malaysian glove company Mediceram, which terminated about 190 Bangladeshi workers on October 31, sent back at least 10 of them last night and is preparing to send more to Dhaka.

One of the deported workers, Nironjon, told The Daily Star from Kuala Lumpur International Airport that he was forced onto a flight by Mediceram executives at 11:00pm last night after he went to file a case against the cancellation of their visas and deportation.

“They said if we don’t take the flight, immigration will arrest and detain us as illegal aliens,” he said.

Recruited in 2023, the workers faced non-payment, irregular wages, and non-renewal of visas. They organised eight to nine protests over the years, but each time the company’s promises to settle debts and meet demands were broken.

The situation escalated on September 30, when immigration officers raided the factory and detained about 90 workers for allegedly lacking valid visas. Although recruitment fees were reimbursed on October 27, the company has yet to return the workers’ passports or renew their visas.

Andy Hall, a migrant rights activist, said the workers had refused to leave voluntarily but were forced onto buses to the airport under extreme pressure and threats. He added that Mediceram could deport 24 more workers on November 5.

“Even the involvement of government agencies has failed to bring meaningful pressure or decisive action to resolve the workers’ claims,” he noted.

In a statement, the Migrant Workers’ Network condemned the deportations, saying, “The deportation of the migrants suggests that demanding rights has become a crime. We strongly condemn the repressive treatment by Mediceram and demand immediate reinstatement and security of the workers.”

Daily Star 4th Nov 2025: MEDICERAM IN MALAYSIA – 190 Bangladeshis in Ansell global gloves supply chain fired for protesting exploitation

Bangladesh

Sourced from: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/190-bangladeshis-fired-protesting-exploitation-4026331

MEDICERAM IN MALAYSIA

190 Bangladeshis fired for protesting exploitation

Mediceram workers yesterday in Negeri Sembilan at government offices, all of which alleged rejected their complaints

DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT

Tue Nov 4, 2025 12:00 AM Last update on: Tue Nov 4, 2025 08:15 AM 

A Malaysian gloves manufacturer has terminated 190 Bangladeshi workers for protesting against exploitative practices, including the non-renewal of their visas.

The migrant workers at the Kuala Lumpur-based company Mediceram told The Daily Star yesterday that the management handed termination letters to all Bangladeshi employees on October 31 and has begun cancelling their visas to deport them.Mediceram workers protesting at Negeri Sembilan government officials yesterday, with PSM team

“I heard visas of six Bangladeshis have already been cancelled and the company will do the same for others,” said one worker.

“We also went to the Malaysian labour court and immigration department with a legal counsellor, but we were told that we cannot file any complaint,” the worker said.

Summary of Complaints Filed by 18 Workers to Government Departments on 3rd Nov 2025.pdfDownload

Over the past two years, since 2023, Mediceram workers have gone on strike multiple times, demanding payment of unpaid wages and recruitment fees.

Even Expatriates’ Welfare Adviser Asif Nazrul had visited the workers in May and assured them their problems would be resolved.

We also went to the Malaysian labour court and immigration department with a legal counsellor, but we were told that we cannot file any complaint.

— A sacked worker

“We had unpaid salary and visa renewal issues for many months. Eventually, the company renewed visas for nearly 90 workers but not for the rest,” said another worker.

Around 90 others continued facing problems as their visas were not renewed despite the company’s promise. “So, we went on strike from October 23,” he added.

Malaysia-based migrant rights groups — Workers’ Solidarity Network, Socialis Alternative and Angkatan Kesatuan Siswa Sosialis — issued a joint statement condemning the company’s actions and demanding an end to the unlawful forced deportation.

They said the migrant workers were subjected to “slave-like conditions”, with confiscated passports, delayed salaries, unrenewed visas and frequent threats from employers.

The statement said Mediceram has faced similar allegations since 2017.

Between 2022 and 2024, around 4.5 lakh Bangladeshis were recruited in Malaysia but were charged Tk 4.5 lakh to Tk 6 lakh, leaving many in debt and unemployed.

The statement said Mediceram workers had organised eight or nine protests over the years, and each time the employer made promises to settle outstanding debts and meet the workers’ demands — promises that were repeatedly broken.

“Even the involvement of government agencies has failed to bring meaningful pressure or decisive action to resolve the workers’ claims,” it said.

The situation worsened on September 30 when immigration officers raided the factory and detained about 90 workers for allegedly not having valid visas.

“In reality, all of them were legal employees, but the company failed to renew their visas,” the statement added.

Although recruitment fees were reimbursed on October 27, the company has yet to return the workers’ passports or renew their visas.

—

Statement for Immediate Release 3rd Nov 2025: Around 190 Bangladeshi Migrant Workers at Mediceram Dismissed for Demanding Fair and Dignified Working Conditions

Public Statement by the Workers’ Solidarity Network, Sosialis Alternatif and AKSI (Angkatan Kesatuan Siswa Sosialis)

03/11/2025

Mediceram workers have gone on strike several times to demand payment of recruitment fees and unpaid wages. They work in slave-like conditions — passports confiscated, salaries delayed, visas not renewed, and frequent threats from their employers. Despite repeated protests, the employers have not kept their promises and the authorities have failed to take firm action.

Also available at https://www.instagram.com/p/DQlcmBEDyQx/?igsh=MWVncnBsbW9qcHZuZg== and https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1PJPKFTmmB/

PSM statement 3rd Nov 2025: 180 Migrant Workers laid off simply for demanding fair employment rights and safe environment (original Malay language180 Pekerja Migrin dipecat hanya kerana menuntut hak pekerjaan yang adil serta persekitaran yang selamat.)

Breaking News 31st Oct: Malaysia’s Mediceram, Supplier to Global Gloves Industry including Ansell, YTY and Top Glove, Allegedly Terminates All 180 Bangladeshi Foreign Workers, Alleged Victims of Forced Labour, and Moves to Force Repatriation to Bangladesh – 31 October 2025 | Selangor, Malaysia

On October 31, all were terminated and told to prepare for deportation, accused of being absent without reason.

“This is a blatant distortion of the truth,” the statement said, calling for immediate reinstatement of the workers, return of their passports and renewal of their visas.

“Mediceram must take full legal responsibility for its obligations,” it added.

Workers complaint to management Mediceram Oct25Download

Mediceram unfair dismissal workers statement 3rd Nov 2025Download

ABC News: 11th Sept 2025: Australian glove-maker Ansell accused of exploiting workers at Malaysian factory of supplier, MediCeram

Original Source: ABC News by Ben Butler– 11th September 202

In short:

A complaint lodged at the federal Treasury claims 220 Bangladeshi workers at a Malaysian factory where moulds for Ansell gloves are made have suffered serious human rights abuses. 

Ansell, headquartered in Melbourne, says it has looked into the allegations and identified breaches of international labour standards.

However, the Malaysian company’s chairman denies the allegations.

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Australian glove-maker Ansell is being accused of using an overseas supplier that has allegedly exploited more than 200 factory workers — including through forced labour — in a complaint lodged with the federal government.

The Melbourne-based company confirmed to the ABC that it has investigated allegations involving workers at the Malaysian factory, among others, and “identified a number of issues that did not meet international labour standards”.

It is now the subject of a complaint lodged with the federal Treasury — where disputes over minimum labour standards at multinational companies are filed — by international labour activist Andy Hall.Original worker demandsOriginal worker demands 

According to the complaint, more than 220 Bangladeshi workers at MediCeram, which makes moulds for Ansell’s gloves, “have suffered serious abuses of fundamental worker and human rights”.Ansell is a Melbourne-based company that makes gloves as well as other personal protection equipment for the healthcare industry.  (ABC News: John Gunn)Workers OECD complaint against Ansell in Australia 

The alleged abuses include wage theft, forced labour and debt bondage, as well as the deportation of workers who complained about their treatment.

MediCeram vehemently denies any abuse of its workers.

In his complaint, Mr Hall said the workers paid fees of about $US5,200 each to recruiters in Bangladesh, leaving them in debt bondage.

Ansell Advances Labour Rights Across Its Supply Chain Press Release August 2025.pdf (recent statement)Download

Many took industrial action in March over allegations of several months of unpaid wages and overtime, according to the complaint.

Mr Hall also alleged that some workers had been deprived of their passports for periods of time and their work visas had not been renewed.

He alleged that about 33 workers who complained to management were sacked and deported.

“Ansell’s due diligence measures failed to prevent the forced labour and retribution by termination in this instance,” Mr Hall said in the complaint.

One Bangladeshi employee, speaking anonymously to the ABC over concerns about his employment, said six workers were housed in each room at MediCeram’s accommodation.

Chairman of Malaysian company denies allegations

Workers original demands March 2025 at Mediceram

Mr Hall filed the complaint with Treasury because it runs the Australian National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct (AusNCP) — the designated “national contact point” for dealing with such disputes under an arrangement set up by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

(270525) Ansell – Mediceram statement – for customers.pdfDownload

(20250624) Ansell – Mediceram Letter.pdfDownload

It is the second time labour activists have used the mechanism to allege breaches of workers’ rights at suppliers to Ansell.

In 2017, Treasury settled a dispute between the company and the union IndustriALL. In that matter, it was alleged that workers at Ansell factories in Sri Lanka and Malaysia were coerced into agreeing to unsafe working conditions and suffered significant health issues from workplace contamination. Ansell denied the allegations.Ansell has previously denied allegations of unsafe working conditions at its factories. (Facebook: Ansell)

MediCeram supplies moulds of hands that are dipped into latex or plastic to make gloves for Ansell. The Malaysian company’s chairman, Arumugam Suppiah, denied all of Mr Hall’s allegations.

“This is unfair, and intimidation by the so-called labour activist,” he told the ABC.

“Ansell is a respectable company and MediCeram has complied with all local rules.

“All the allegations can be refuted with supporting documents.”

He said Ansell continued to support MediCeram, but had not bought anything from the company for three months.On their corporate Facebook page, Ansell advertises the size of their glove business. (Facebook: Ansell)

An Ansell spokesperson said the company “pre-ordered, expedited payment for and took advance delivery of over one year’s worth of ceramic formers to support the supplier’s cash flow” so that MediCeram could fund repayments to workers and a remediation package.

The spokesperson confirmed Ansell investigated MediCeram and other ceramic-former suppliers earlier this year and “identified a number of issues that did not meet international labour standards or comply with our supplier code of conduct”.

“Ansell has deliberately chosen not to walk away from the suppliers, including the supplier that is the subject of the AusNCP complaint,” the spokesperson said.

“We continue to engage with them closely to encourage their mitigation and remediation of the issues identified.”

The spokesperson said they would deal with the complaints process “in good faith”.

Mr Hall said that while MediCeram had agreed to repay the recruitment fees in instalments, the eight months it had to pay was “too lengthy”.

“Many workers have been excluded from the remediation package unfairly and irrationally by MediCeram, including repatriated and departed workers,” he said in the complaint.

He also accused Ansell of irresponsibly disengaging from MediCeram, contrary to OECD guidelines that state multinationals should work to fix problems at their suppliers rather than walking away.

Firm’s duty to prevent modern slavery, legal expert says

Ansell Mediceram workers’ August 2025 complaint letter to RBA’s Responsible Glove Alliance and remediation letter

Human Rights Law Centre associate legal director Freya Dinshaw, who sits on a board advising the government about such disputes, said the mechanism worked well when companies were willing to negotiate with complainants.

“It’s not a court, so ultimately they’re not binding, and that’s why Australia also needs to ensure that there are binding mechanisms to ensure that our companies do the right thing no matter where in the world they operate,” she said.

Ms Dinshaw said current Australian laws only require companies to report on the risks of modern slavery in their supply chain.Freya Dinshaw says Australian-based companies should be legally bound to avoid modern slavery no matter where they operate.

“Australian companies should have a duty to prevent modern slavery so that they’re legally required to investigate and address forced labour in their supply chains and face hard consequences where they don’t,” she said.

She said the importation of slave-made goods should also be banned.

The Albanese government committed to toughening Australian laws late last year but has not yet introduced legislation.Original remediation settlement

“They haven’t as yet committed to significantly strengthen the act by requiring companies to take action to address risks and as long as the act’s requirements are met by a tick box approach to addressing modern slavery, there are going to be companies that turn a blind eye to worker exploitation, even though they technically comply with the reporting requirements,” Ms Dinshaw said.

YTY/Mediceram statement 9th Sept 2025: Former Supplier Update

Tuesday, September 9, 2025

YTY is providing this update to highlight recent developments relating to earlier allegations of certain systemic forced labor conditions (the “Allegations”) in the manufacturing operations of MediCeram Sdn. Bhd. (“MediCeram,” or the “Company”), a Malaysian supplier of ceramic formers.  This update builds on our prior statement on this matter dated March 28, 2025, which is around the time we were first alerted to the Allegations.

Our relationship with MediCeram has been limited, with first commercial orders in December 2024.  Last year, MediCeram comprised less than 0.5% of our total supplier spend, making them a very small part of our supply chain.  After being alerted to the Allegations in March 2025, YTY suspended placing additional orders until such time as we completed our internal review and investigation.

Despite the limited relationship with MediCeram in both length and scale, upon learning of the Allegations YTY immediately engaged with the Company to review and investigate the claims.  In addition to working closely with MediCeram, YTY devoted significant time and effort to regularly engage with the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) and the Responsible Glove Alliance (RGA), the latter being the arm set up by RBA to focus on forced labor matters within our industry, YTY customers, and other key stakeholders to verify the Allegations and evaluate the Company’s efforts to remediate the identified areas of concern.

As part of our commitment to remain responsibly engaged with supply partners as they work through such situations, YTY continued to honor and take delivery of existing orders that had been placed prior to us becoming aware of the Allegations, even though these deliveries have remained quarantined and unutilized at our facilities until such time as we complete our internal review and investigation.  YTY also accelerated payments against any pending invoices to provide cashflow relief to MediCeram in furtherance of its ongoing remediation efforts.

Based on our sustained engagement with MediCeram in the preceding period, and the monitoring of actions undertaken by them across multiple months, we believe the Company has taken serious and credible steps to remediate the identified areas of concern and that, to the best of our knowledge at the time this statement is being issued, the Allegations have been sufficiently addressed.  We have come to this conclusion based on our onsite audits, extensive review of supporting documentation, and independent and unsupervised interviews with affected employees.

In certain limited instances, the timeline to remediate a specific allegation is still underway and has yet to conclude.  In all such instances, the Company has made good on its commitments till date under these respective timelines, and there is therefore a well-founded expectation that it will honor the remainder of these commitments as intended until they are concluded in the near-term.

The corrective actions undertaken by MediCeram have been independently verified by RGA based on a recent third-party forced labor audit it conducted specifically in reference to the Allegations, which has been shared with us with consent. Additionally, certain customers of ours, who have also independently evaluated the measures taken by MediCeram to address the Allegations, concur with our conclusions. 

Given our determination, and based on our supplier risk assessment framework, we are now able to commercially reengage with MediCeram.  We therefore expect to resume placing orders shortly with MediCeram, and will seek to provide advance payment and other forms of financial assistance to reasonably support the Company from a commercial standpoint.

YTY remains actively involved in supplier evaluations and compliance assessments around forced labor matters.  Our efforts center around training, risk assessments, and on-site audits to ensure those that we procure from are committed to sound employment practices and appropriate levels of employee welfare.

We will continue to hold our suppliers accountable to the elevated standards of professional conduct we expect from them, which are clearly documented and communicated.  Through our ongoing actions, commitment to, and efforts with, our supply chain partners, YTY looks forward to remaining an agent of positive change for our industry in the area of forced labor.

Past Mediceram Stories

2nd July 2025 FMT: Workers at glove mould producer Mediceram back at work after successful talks

FMT 25th May 2025: Malaysian mould manufacturer Mediceram sets up task force to resolve worker grievances following Bangladeshi migrant workers successful strike to address alleged forced labour conditions

FMT 19th May 2025: Malaysia’s Mediceram Glove Factory (supplying brands and buyers like Ansell, YTY, Top Glove) threatened to deport 60 Bangladeshi migrants amid strike, says activist

Daily Star 18th May 2025 – Bangladeshi Migrant Worker at Mediceram Sdn Bhd Glove Company in Malaysia (supplying Ansell, YTY, Top Glove and other local and global gloves brands) faces deportation after speaking up on modern slavery and forced labour allegations

FMT 15th May 2025: Bangladeshi foreign workers in alleged situation of forced labour threaten to go on strike again at mould-making plant Mediceram

Daily Star 15th May 2025: Migration – ‘Contact me if you face any trouble’ – Asif Nazrul tells Mediceram migrant workers in Malaysia

FMT 28th Mar 2025: Glove maker YTY says Malaysian ceramic mould supplier Mediceram may be involved in forced labour practices

28th Mar 2025: YTY Gloves Group Statement on Mediceram (Malaysian Ceramics Glove Former Supplier) Forced Labour Allegations 

FMT 8th Mar 2025: Workers at glove mould-making plant in Malaysia, supplying leading domestic and international gloves companies, not paid for 3 months, claims activist (another alleged Malaysian modern slavery related case)

Past Related Malaysian Gloves and Modern Slavery Related Stories 

26th Sept 2024: Former Malaysian gloves plant workers sue Kimberly-Clark. They allege abuse at company’s supplier Brightway

20th Sep 2023: CBP modifies withhold release order against Supermax Corporation Bhd. and its subsidiaries

26th Feb 2023: Malaysian glovemakers must show ‘no forced labour’ to sell to UK’s National Health Service.

August 18 2022: Migrant workers at Malaysian glove maker Brightway Holdings file US lawsuit against Kimberly-Clark Corp & Ansell, accusing them of “knowingly profiting” from alleged use of forced labour

August 12 2022: Full case submission now available online for the former Brightway Gloves (Malaysia) Bangladeshi workers US court case claims related to forced labour against Ansell and Kimberly Clark Corporation (KCC)

10th August 2022 Reuters: Ex-workers at Malaysian supplier sue Kimberly-Clark, Ansell over alleged labour abuse

10th August 2022: Ansell and Kimberly-Clark Sued in US Federal Court by Trafficking and Forced Labor Victims from Malaysian Glove Company

16th June 2022: My comment on Norway wealth fund putting Malaysia’s Supermax Corp under observation.

The Diplomat, April 4, 2022 – After Pressure, Growing Transparency in Malaysia’s Glove Industry

8th Feb 2022: Malaysia’s scandal-hit Supermax pays $6 million in compensation to migrant workers.

28th Dec 2021 Reuters: Ansell halts orders from Malaysian glove maker Brightway after US ban 

The Sydney Morning Herald, December 21, 2021 – Gloves off: Ansell under fire over “modern slavery” at Malaysian supplier 

20th Dec 2021 Reuters: U.S. Customs bans fifth Malaysian glove maker Brightway over alleged forced labour

14th September 2021 – The Diplomat: Debt Bondage Payouts Flow to Workers in Malaysia’s Glove Industry 

Reuters, September 10, 2021 – U.S. lifts import ban on Malaysia’s Top Glove over forced labour concerns

VOA, July 7, 2021 – Forced Labor Rising in Malaysia’s Rubber Glove Factories, Study Shows

Reuters, May 29, 2021: U.S. probes two Malaysian glove makers over forced labour allegations – report Reuters

20th May 2021 Reuters Insight: ‘Slavery’ found at a Malaysian glove factory. Why didn’t the auditor see it?

The Guardian, March 30, 2021 – US bars rubber gloves from Malaysian from due to ‘evidence of forced labour’

CNN, March 30, 2021 – US will seize all Top Glove imports after finding ‘sufficient evidence’ of forced labour

Reuters, March 30, 2021 – U.S. Customs says forced labour used at Malaysia’s Top Glove, to seize gloves

28th Dec 2020 Malay Mail: Human Resources Ministry – Brightway Holdings, two subsidiaries to face 30 charges over workers accommodation

21st Dec 2020: Malaysia: Hundreds of migrant workers subject to “squalid” onsite living conditions at glove manufacturers owned by Brightway Holdings; Incl. buyer responses

VOA, November 19, 2020 – After US Sanctions, Malaysia Migrant Workers Get Millions in Restitution from Glove Makers

CNN, September 11, 2020 – The world’s top suppliers of disposable gloves are thriving because of the pandemic. Their workers aren’t

VOA, July 17, 2020 – US Bars Imports from Top Rubber Glove Maker Amid COVID Surge

Newsroom, July 28, 2020 – Are your disposable gloves made using forced labour?

Reuters, July 16, 2020 – Amid virus crisis, U.S. bars imports of Malaysia’s Top Glove over labour issues

Associated Press (AP), March 4, 2020 – Key medical glove factories cutting staff 50% amid virus

VOA, October 11, 2019 – US Ban on Malaysian Glove Maker Highlights ‘Systemic’ Labor Abuse

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Why Human Rights Matter to Business?

Risky Business with Darian McBain: Asia

15th January 2024

Why Human Rights Matter to Business with Darian McBain – Interview with Andy Hall – Migrant Worker Rights Specialist

Asian business is changing. Customer demands, government regulations, stakeholder expectations, they are all evolving under the pressure of the environmental crisis. And even the most robust business models are starting to show cracks. But it’s through those cracks that opportunities arrive.

Do you know how to navigate this new normal?

Andy Hall is a human rights defender, a researcher/investigator and activist, and an independent specialist on migrant worker rights.

In this episode of Risky Business, Andy talks about how he uncovered – and helped to tackle – the problem of labour rights abuses in Malaysia’s latex glove industry.

Click HERE to listen 

The post Daily Star 15th Nov 2025: Bangladeshi High Commission to Mediceram – ‘Reinstate 170 workers’ in Ansell global gloves supply chain alleged forced labour case in Malaysia appeared first on Andy Hall.

Associated Press World News 10th Nov 2025: Bangladeshi workers protest over unpaid wages and mistreatment claims in Malaysian global supply chain factories (today’s Dhaka human chain protest)

BY  JULHAS ALAMUpdated 6:33 PM GMT+7, November 10, 2025

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — About 100 Bangladeshi workers who were employed by Malaysian companies rallied Monday to demand unpaid wages, fair compensation and an end to alleged abuse by Malaysian employers.

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The exploitation of migrant workers: Mediceram and Kawaguchi – a case of insufficient enforcement?

By K. Veeriah

“About 100 Bangladesh workers who were employed by Malaysian companies rallied Monday to demand unpaid wages, for fair compensation and an end to alleged abuse by Malaysian employers” — Associated Press World News, Nov 10, 2025

https://focusmalaysia.my/the-exploitation-of-migrant-workers-a-case-of-insufficient-enforcement/

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See also Daily Star 11th Nov 2025: Deported workers call for justice

The Migrant Welfare Network, a Bangladeshi migrant group based in Malaysia and Bangladesh, organized the protest at the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka.

The demonstrators said the event was organized to protest what they say is widespread mistreatment of migrant workers in Malaysia, one of Southeast Asia’s richest nations. They demanded unpaid wages and compensation for 431 Bangladeshi workers they said were exploited by two Malaysian companies, Mediceram and Kawaguchi Manufacturing.

The Associated Press could not immediately reach the companies for comment.

Many factories in Malaysia and other Southeast Asia countries rely on migrant workers, often from Bangladesh, Myanmar and Nepal, to fill labor-intensive jobs in manufacturing, plantations or construction. Local workers usually avoid such jobs because of their poor conditions and low wages.

The Migrant Welfare Network urged Bangladeshi and Malaysian authorities and international buyers to take immediate action to ensure workers receive wages already owed, fair compensation and “justice for systemic abuses.”

The group said in statement Monday that a complaint claiming forced labor and neglect has been filed with the Malaysian government against Australian company Ansell, a major customer of Mediceram, which manufactures gloves for medical, industrial and domestic use.

A separate complaint was filed against Kawaguchi, which supplied plastic components to large Japanese companies, including Sony Group.

In May, around 280 Bangladeshi migrant workers for Kawaguchi demanded hundreds of thousands of dollars in back wages and other money owed to them after the company closed five months earlier.

Workers at Kawaguchi’s factory in Port Klang filed complaints in Malaysia and Bangladesh claiming the company withheld their wages for up to eight months before closing after Sony and Panasonic Holdings Corp., two of Kawaguchi’s main customers, halted orders in response to allegations the workers were mistreated.

“In the beginning, they used to pay the salary in parts, meaning they would give 500–1000 ringgit (about $120-$240) per month as food expenses,” said former Kawaguchi employee Omar Faruk, who began working for the manufacturer in 2022. “After withholding the salary, the company started considering shutting down. Later, we filed a complaint at the Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia.”

Harun Or Rasid Liton, who worked at Mediceram, accused the company of not paying despite an order by the Malaysian Labor Court. 

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Photos and videos from today’s innovative and impressive human chain event in Dhaka – youth power against injustice, corruption and exploitation https://www.facebook.com/share/v/16k3YYDWaz/?mibextid=wwXIfr

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“The court ruled that the company would pay us 1,000 ringgit per month, but the company paid only the first installment and then stopped paying,” he said. “Later, we had no choice but to return to Bangladesh. Now we are facing severe hardship in maintaining our families.”

There have been widespread reports of abuse of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia and disputes between employees and companies have become a diplomatic sore point between Bangladesh and Malaysia. Workers’ rights groups have demanded stringent scrutiny on the powerful group of recruitment agencies and middlemen who monopolize such jobs.

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Expatriates have not stopped crying today

A heartbreaking scene was seen in front of the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare
Tears in the eyes, tears in the voice, and heart full of pain for the immigrant workers victims of injustice.

Many couldn’t hold tears during human chain…
These tears of them are the symbol of demanding justice,
May this cry of theirs reach the hearts of the concerned authorities.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Cr4WoAs1P/?mibextid=wwXIfr

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PRESS RELEASE 10th November, 2025 Bangladeshi Migrant Workers Demand Justice Over Exploitation in Malaysia

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CwJHdN6k8/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Today, the Migrant Welfare Network (MWN)—a Bangladeshi migrant network based in Malaysia and Bangladesh— organised a human chain and press conference in front of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment.

The event aimed to demand urgent support for 431 Bangladeshi workers exploited by two Malaysian companies, Mediceram Sdn. Bhd. and Kawaguchi Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd., and to draw attention to the widespread mistreatment of migrant workers in Malaysia.

MWN calls on Bangladeshi and Malaysian authorities, as well as international buyers, to take immediate action to ensure workers receive all owed wages, fair compensation, and justice for systemic abuses. We also urge the media, activists, rights community, and other relevant stakeholders to give this matter immediate attention. The Bangladeshi High Commission in Malaysia and the Expatriates Ministry in Dhaka have failed to protect victims of modern slavery, instead creating an environment of retaliation following their involvement.

Brief overview of the cases:

1. Mediceram Sdn. Bhd.: Workers suffered for years from late wages, threats, bullying, and poor living conditions. When their passports were taken, they became isolated. Without work permit renewals, many have become illegal. This is forced labour and modern slavery. The company did refund recruitment fees after several strikes and external pressures, but in 1st week of November 2025, 15 workers were forced to return home because they demanded permit renewals and repayment for former workers. Worker leaders elected by workers were deported in clear retaliation, with one escaping by fleeing. An OECD complaint has been filed against the Australian company Ansell, a major buyer from Mediceram, about forced labour and neglect. Conditions of the Bangladeshi workers at Mediceram are getting worse.
2. Kawaguchi Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd.: This company was a major supplier for global brands such as Sony, Panasonic, and Daikin. Workers paid high recruitment fees and experienced wage payment irregularities starting in 2022, with their salaries going entirely unpaid for seven months as of September 2024. After facing months of hardship and strikes, 308 Bangladeshi workers were reimbursed by the above-mentioned buyers for recruitment fees and compensation for their hardship. However, their unpaid wages remained outstanding even after the Malaysian authority (JTK) issued a consent order following a settlement meeting between the workers, JTK, and Kawaguchi management on 24th December 2024. The Taiwanese owner of Kawaguchi still owes 3 million RM to 251 migrant workers, yet the company was officially closed without settling this debt, highlighting a significant failure of the Malaysian system.

Demands: 1. Immediate compensation for Mediceram workers who were forcibly deported for demanding work permit renewal and recruitment fee reimbursement for their colleagues. 2. Stop forced deportations immediately and assist with transferring from Mediceram to a responsible employer through the legal process. 2 3. Immediate ban on Mediceram and its owner, Mr Arumugam Suppiah Datu and his companies from hiring any more Bangladeshi workers in future. 4. Ensure that all former Kawaguchi workers receive their pending wages in accordance with the JTK consent order, and that former Mediceram workers are reimbursed for their recruitment fees. 5. We call for a reformation of the performance of the Bangladeshi High Commission, KL, in line with the genuine needs of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia, who are suffering in large numbers. 6. We call for comprehensive reform of Bangladesh’s recruitment and migration system so that safeguarding migrant workers’ rights becomes the central focus, rather than prioritising remittance generation. 7. We call for complete transparency and systemic support from international buyers to ensure the protection of migrant workers’ rights.

The Migrant Welfare Network (MWN) highlights and emphasises that “these workers have built Malaysia’s industries and supported Bangladesh’s economy through their remittances. They deserve justice—not deportation, debt, or threat.”

Nironjan, a Mediceram Workers Committee member recently deported, said: “We requested our rights as humans but were treated as second-class humans, even as animals. Our demands for salaries and recruitment fee refunds led to harassment. When we asked for legal status and reimbursement for friends, we were threatened and forced onto flights. Speaking up results in deportation, and after mass dismissals, we’re barred from seeking new employment. We have decided to keep appealing to authorities, media, activists and the public for justice.”

Omar Faruq, a former Kawaguchi worker forced to leave Malaysia due to the uncertain RTK system, said: “We suffered passport confiscation and unpaid salaries for over seven months, leaving us hungry and desperate. Our appeals to authorities brought no help. Our wages still remain unpaid as the company closed without settlement. Thousands of migrant workers face similar hardship in Malaysia. Complete reform is needed.”

Media References: ABC News (Australia): “Australian glove-maker Ansell accused of exploiting workers” (Sept 2025). Click for news link The Daily Star (Bangladesh): “Dream turns into despair for deported Mediceram workers” (6 Nov 2025). Click for news link AP News: “Migrant workers from Kawaguchi seek unpaid wages, partial repayments arranged” (May 2025). Click for news link

Contact: Migrant Welfare Network (MWN): mw.org2025@gmail.com or +8801622125270 Nironjan, Mediceram Workers Representative: +880 1938962947 Omar Faruq, Kawaguchi Workers Representative: +880 1620785039 Thank you for your attention and participation!

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CwJHdN6k8/?mibextid=wwXIfr

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Daily Star 8th Nov 2025:152 Bangladeshi workers at Mediceram in Malaysia (Ansell gloves global supply chain) protest forced repatriation, appoint legal counsel 

Migrants appoint legal counsel, refuse to return to work under same management 

Star Online Report

Sat Nov 8, 2025 10:14 PM

Sourced from: https://www.thedailystar.net/nrb/migration/news/152-bangladeshi-workers-malaysia-protest-forced-repatriation-4030126

At least 152 Bangladeshi migrant workers in Malaysia today wrote an open letter, protesting forced repatriation and urging the Bangladesh mission in Kuala Lumpur, international organisations and civil society groups to intervene in their case of termination by their employer Mediceram.

About 180 Bangladeshi workers were handed termination letters on October 31 as they protested non-renewal of visas of more than 90 fellow workers.

On November 4, Malaysian authorities deported 10 of them after the gloves company executives forcibly took them to the airport in Kuala Lumpur.

On November 7, additional six Bangladeshis were deported the same way.

Meanwhile, the group of 152 workers living in fear and intimidation in Selangor district appointed Louis Liaw Chambers as their legal counsel to legally support their case and wrote an open letter to express their collective and united position regarding the ongoing situation.

“Despite continuous threats, intimidation, and the forced repatriation of our democratically elected worker representatives, we have collectively decided that we will not go back to work under the same management and conditions that violated our dignity, rights, and safety,” said the letter.

They sought an immediate transfer to a law-abiding and responsible employer in Malaysia.

“We respectfully call upon the governments of Bangladesh and Malaysia, as well as all relevant authorities, to support this transfer process urgently and ensure our continued lawful employment in Malaysia.”

They said they do not want to be forcibly sent back to Bangladesh.

“We will peacefully and lawfully resist any attempt at forced repatriation. We remain committed to abiding by the laws and regulations of Malaysia, while standing firm in our right to dignity, justice, and fair treatment,” they said.

They urge all concerned parties including the Malaysian authorities, the Bangladesh High Commission, international organisations, and civil society groups to take immediate notice of their situation and intervene to protect their fundamental rights as migrant workers.

These migrants went to Malaysia in 2023, paying amounts ranging from Tk 450,000 to Tk 600,000. The company has been irregular in payments, as well as made low pays, causing debt to the migrants.

There are about 800,000 Bangladeshis working in Malaysia, which faced criticism for approving a syndicate of 101 recruiting agencies in 2022. Between 2022 and 2024, more than 450,000 Bangladeshis migrated to Malaysia.

It suspended recruitment of foreign workers, including Bangladeshis, on May 31 last year amid allegations of syndication, excessive recruitment fees and labour abuses

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Daily Star 6th Nov 2025: Dream turns into despair for 10 deported Bangladeshi migrants from Mediceram in Malaysia (Ansell/YTY gloves supply chain factory)

Daily Star 6th Nov 2025: Dream turns into despair for 10 deported Bangladeshi migrants from Mediceram in Malaysia (Ansell/YTY gloves supply chain factory)

Bangladesh

Porimol Palma

Mediceram in Malaysia

Thu Nov 6, 2025

Sourced from: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/dream-turns-despair-10-deported-migrants-4028131

Like many others, Sufian Khan borrowed a large sum of money, hoping to go to Malaysia to change his fortune.

He spent over Tk 4.5 lakh to make the arrangements, dreaming of a better life for his family.

But his dream soon turned into despair when he, along with nine others, was deported by Malaysian authorities early yesterday.

“I still have a loan of over Tk 1 lakh,” he told The Daily Star from Barishal.

Sufian said they were forcibly taken to Kuala Lumpur International Airport by executives of Malaysian glove manufacturing company Mediceram, based in Selangor.

The company terminated all 180 Bangladeshi workers on October 31 after they protested the non-renewal of visas for more than 90 of them.

The company terminated all 180 Bangladeshi workers on October 31 after they protested the non-renewal of visas for more than 90 of them.

Following their termination, some of the workers went to the Bangladesh High Commission seeking help, but received none.

A Mediceram executive was present at the high commission and held a meeting for about two and a half hours, while the workers were kept waiting outside, said another deportee, Nironjan. “When we finally got to speak, the high commission officials told us they could do nothing about it,” he said.

The migrants also turned to the immigration and labour departments in Kuala Lumpur, but no one accepted their complaints, said Nironjan.

“On November 4, Mediceram executives dragged us onto a bus to the airport. We were literally crying,” said Sufian.

He said Mediceram had been irregular in paying wages since they joined in April 2023 through the recruiting agency Greenland Overseas.

“We were paid as little as 200 Malaysian ringgit a month,” he said, adding that the company also failed to renew their work visas on time.

After repeated demonstrations and complaints, Mediceram eventually paid the recruitment fees, but most of the migrants were left in uncertainty and faced the threat of police detention due to expired visas.

As a result, they went on a work abstention on October 27 but were soon terminated.

Another migrant, who is still staying at Mediceram’s hostel, told this correspondent that the remaining 170 Bangladeshi workers are living in fear, as company executives have also threatened them with deportation.

Back home, the deportees say they feel abused, defrauded, and deprived of justice and have no idea what to do next.

“I have my parents and wife at home. I still owe one lakh taka. I am totally undone,” said Sufian.

Contacted, Bangladesh’s Deputy High Commissioner in Malaysia, Shahanara Monica, said the mission has sent a report to Dhaka regarding the incident.

“Until we hear back from them, we cannot make any comment,” she said yesterday evening.

There are around 800,000 Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia, including 450,000 who migrated between 2022 and 2024 through a syndicate of 101 recruiting agencies.

Recruitment has remained suspended since May last year

Break the syndicates, not the dreams of Malaysia-bound workers

Save our migrants in Malaysia

Daily Star 5th Nov 2025: Malaysia’s Mediceram, in Ansell’s global gloves supply chain, forcibly and involuntarily sends back 10 Bangladeshis

Glove manufacturer earlier terminated 190 Bangladeshis for protesting exploitative practices 

Sourced from: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/malaysias-mediceram-sends-back-10-bangladeshis-4027116

Star Online Report

Wed Nov 5th 2025

Photo: Collected

The Malaysian glove company Mediceram, which terminated about 190 Bangladeshi workers on October 31, sent back at least 10 of them last night and is preparing to send more to Dhaka.

One of the deported workers, Nironjon, told The Daily Star from Kuala Lumpur International Airport that he was forced onto a flight by Mediceram executives at 11:00pm last night after he went to file a case against the cancellation of their visas and deportation.

“They said if we don’t take the flight, immigration will arrest and detain us as illegal aliens,” he said Mediceram workers protest in Oct 2025

Recruited in 2023, the workers faced non-payment, irregular wages, and non-renewal of visas. They organised eight to nine protests over the years, but each time the company’s promises to settle debts and meet demands were broken.

The situation escalated on September 30, when immigration officers raided the factory and detained about 90 workers for allegedly lacking valid visas. Although recruitment fees were reimbursed on October 27, the company has yet to return the workers’ passports or renew their visas.Mediceram workers protesting at Negeri Sembilan government offices on 3rd Nov 2025

Andy Hall, a migrant rights activist, said the workers had refused to leave voluntarily but were forced onto buses to the airport under extreme pressure and threats. He added that Mediceram could deport 24 more workers on November 5.Mediceram workers protest against Ansell in August 2025

“Even the involvement of government agencies has failed to bring meaningful pressure or decisive action to resolve the workers’ claims,” he noted.

In a statement, the Migrant Workers’ Network condemned the deportations, saying, “The deportation of the migrants suggests that demanding rights has become a crime. We strongly condemn the repressive treatment by Mediceram and demand immediate reinstatement and security of the workers.”

Daily Star 4th Nov 2025: MEDICERAM IN MALAYSIA – 190 Bangladeshis in Ansell global gloves supply chain fired for protesting exploitation

Daily Star 4th Nov 2025: MEDICERAM IN MALAYSIA – 190 Bangladeshis in Ansell global gloves supply chain fired for protesting exploitation

Daily Star 4th Nov 2025: MEDICERAM IN MALAYSIA – 190 Bangladeshis in Ansell global gloves supply chain fired for protesting exploitation

Bangladesh

Sourced from: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/190-bangladeshis-fired-protesting-exploitation-4026331

MEDICERAM IN MALAYSIA

190 Bangladeshis fired for protesting exploitation

Mediceram workers yesterday in Negeri Sembilan at government offices, all of which alleged rejected their complaints

DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT

Tue Nov 4, 2025 12:00 AM Last update on: Tue Nov 4, 2025 08:15 AM 

A Malaysian gloves manufacturer has terminated 190 Bangladeshi workers for protesting against exploitative practices, including the non-renewal of their visas.

The migrant workers at the Kuala Lumpur-based company Mediceram told The Daily Star yesterday that the management handed termination letters to all Bangladeshi employees on October 31 and has begun cancelling their visas to deport them.Mediceram workers protesting at Negeri Sembilan government officials yesterday, with PSM team

“I heard visas of six Bangladeshis have already been cancelled and the company will do the same for others,” said one worker.

“We also went to the Malaysian labour court and immigration department with a legal counsellor, but we were told that we cannot file any complaint,” the worker said.

Summary of Complaints Filed by 18 Workers to Government Departments on 3rd Nov 2025.pdfDownload

Over the past two years, since 2023, Mediceram workers have gone on strike multiple times, demanding payment of unpaid wages and recruitment fees.

Even Expatriates’ Welfare Adviser Asif Nazrul had visited the workers in May and assured them their problems would be resolved.

We also went to the Malaysian labour court and immigration department with a legal counsellor, but we were told that we cannot file any complaint.

— A sacked worker

“We had unpaid salary and visa renewal issues for many months. Eventually, the company renewed visas for nearly 90 workers but not for the rest,” said another worker.

Around 90 others continued facing problems as their visas were not renewed despite the company’s promise. “So, we went on strike from October 23,” he added.

Malaysia-based migrant rights groups — Workers’ Solidarity Network, Socialis Alternative and Angkatan Kesatuan Siswa Sosialis — issued a joint statement condemning the company’s actions and demanding an end to the unlawful forced deportation.

They said the migrant workers were subjected to “slave-like conditions”, with confiscated passports, delayed salaries, unrenewed visas and frequent threats from employers.

The statement said Mediceram has faced similar allegations since 2017.

Between 2022 and 2024, around 4.5 lakh Bangladeshis were recruited in Malaysia but were charged Tk 4.5 lakh to Tk 6 lakh, leaving many in debt and unemployed.

The statement said Mediceram workers had organised eight or nine protests over the years, and each time the employer made promises to settle outstanding debts and meet the workers’ demands — promises that were repeatedly broken.

“Even the involvement of government agencies has failed to bring meaningful pressure or decisive action to resolve the workers’ claims,” it said.

The situation worsened on September 30 when immigration officers raided the factory and detained about 90 workers for allegedly not having valid visas.

“In reality, all of them were legal employees, but the company failed to renew their visas,” the statement added.

Although recruitment fees were reimbursed on October 27, the company has yet to return the workers’ passports or renew their visas.

—

Statement for Immediate Release 3rd Nov 2025: Around 190 Bangladeshi Migrant Workers at Mediceram Dismissed for Demanding Fair and Dignified Working Conditions

Public Statement by the Workers’ Solidarity Network, Sosialis Alternatif and AKSI (Angkatan Kesatuan Siswa Sosialis)

03/11/2025

Mediceram workers have gone on strike several times to demand payment of recruitment fees and unpaid wages. They work in slave-like conditions — passports confiscated, salaries delayed, visas not renewed, and frequent threats from their employers. Despite repeated protests, the employers have not kept their promises and the authorities have failed to take firm action.

Also available at https://www.instagram.com/p/DQlcmBEDyQx/?igsh=MWVncnBsbW9qcHZuZg== and https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1PJPKFTmmB/

PSM statement 3rd Nov 2025: 180 Migrant Workers laid off simply for demanding fair employment rights and safe environment (original Malay language180 Pekerja Migrin dipecat hanya kerana menuntut hak pekerjaan yang adil serta persekitaran yang selamat.)

Breaking News 31st Oct: Malaysia’s Mediceram, Supplier to Global Gloves Industry including Ansell, YTY and Top Glove, Allegedly Terminates All 180 Bangladeshi Foreign Workers, Alleged Victims of Forced Labour, and Moves to Force Repatriation to Bangladesh – 31 October 2025 | Selangor, Malaysia

—

On October 31, all were terminated and told to prepare for deportation, accused of being absent without reason.

“This is a blatant distortion of the truth,” the statement said, calling for immediate reinstatement of the workers, return of their passports and renewal of their visas.

“Mediceram must take full legal responsibility for its obligations,” it added.

Workers complaint to management Mediceram Oct25Download

Mediceram unfair dismissal workers statement 3rd Nov 2025Download

Workers dismissal letters Oct 2025Workers dismissal letters Oct 2025

Mediceram workers on filing OECD complaint in Australia against Ansell in August 2025

ABC News: 11th Sept 2025: Australian glove-maker Ansell accused of exploiting workers at Malaysian factory of supplier, MediCeram

Ansell, a key global healthcare products buyer from Mediceram 

ABC News: 11th Sept 2025: Australian glove-maker Ansell accused of exploiting workers at Malaysian factory of supplier, MediCeram

Original Source: ABC News by Ben Butler– 11th September 202

In short:

A complaint lodged at the federal Treasury claims 220 Bangladeshi workers at a Malaysian factory where moulds for Ansell gloves are made have suffered serious human rights abuses. 

Ansell, headquartered in Melbourne, says it has looked into the allegations and identified breaches of international labour standards.

However, the Malaysian company’s chairman denies the allegations.

—

Australian glove-maker Ansell is being accused of using an overseas supplier that has allegedly exploited more than 200 factory workers — including through forced labour — in a complaint lodged with the federal government.

The Melbourne-based company confirmed to the ABC that it has investigated allegations involving workers at the Malaysian factory, among others, and “identified a number of issues that did not meet international labour standards”.

It is now the subject of a complaint lodged with the federal Treasury — where disputes over minimum labour standards at multinational companies are filed — by international labour activist Andy Hall.Original worker demandsOriginal worker demands 

According to the complaint, more than 220 Bangladeshi workers at MediCeram, which makes moulds for Ansell’s gloves, “have suffered serious abuses of fundamental worker and human rights”.Ansell is a Melbourne-based company that makes gloves as well as other personal protection equipment for the healthcare industry.  (ABC News: John Gunn)Workers OECD complaint against Ansell in Australia 

The alleged abuses include wage theft, forced labour and debt bondage, as well as the deportation of workers who complained about their treatment.

MediCeram vehemently denies any abuse of its workers.

In his complaint, Mr Hall said the workers paid fees of about $US5,200 each to recruiters in Bangladesh, leaving them in debt bondage.

Ansell Advances Labour Rights Across Its Supply Chain Press Release August 2025.pdf (recent statement)Download

Many took industrial action in March over allegations of several months of unpaid wages and overtime, according to the complaint.

Mr Hall also alleged that some workers had been deprived of their passports for periods of time and their work visas had not been renewed.

He alleged that about 33 workers who complained to management were sacked and deported.

“Ansell’s due diligence measures failed to prevent the forced labour and retribution by termination in this instance,” Mr Hall said in the complaint.

One Bangladeshi employee, speaking anonymously to the ABC over concerns about his employment, said six workers were housed in each room at MediCeram’s accommodation.

Chairman of Malaysian company denies allegations

Workers original demands March 2025 at Mediceram

Mr Hall filed the complaint with Treasury because it runs the Australian National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct (AusNCP) — the designated “national contact point” for dealing with such disputes under an arrangement set up by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

(270525) Ansell – Mediceram statement – for customers.pdfDownload

(20250624) Ansell – Mediceram Letter.pdfDownload

It is the second time labour activists have used the mechanism to allege breaches of workers’ rights at suppliers to Ansell.

In 2017, Treasury settled a dispute between the company and the union IndustriALL. In that matter, it was alleged that workers at Ansell factories in Sri Lanka and Malaysia were coerced into agreeing to unsafe working conditions and suffered significant health issues from workplace contamination. Ansell denied the allegations.Ansell has previously denied allegations of unsafe working conditions at its factories. (Facebook: Ansell)

MediCeram supplies moulds of hands that are dipped into latex or plastic to make gloves for Ansell. The Malaysian company’s chairman, Arumugam Suppiah, denied all of Mr Hall’s allegations.

“This is unfair, and intimidation by the so-called labour activist,” he told the ABC.

“Ansell is a respectable company and MediCeram has complied with all local rules.

“All the allegations can be refuted with supporting documents.”

He said Ansell continued to support MediCeram, but had not bought anything from the company for three months.On their corporate Facebook page, Ansell advertises the size of their glove business. (Facebook: Ansell)

An Ansell spokesperson said the company “pre-ordered, expedited payment for and took advance delivery of over one year’s worth of ceramic formers to support the supplier’s cash flow” so that MediCeram could fund repayments to workers and a remediation package.

The spokesperson confirmed Ansell investigated MediCeram and other ceramic-former suppliers earlier this year and “identified a number of issues that did not meet international labour standards or comply with our supplier code of conduct”.

“Ansell has deliberately chosen not to walk away from the suppliers, including the supplier that is the subject of the AusNCP complaint,” the spokesperson said.

“We continue to engage with them closely to encourage their mitigation and remediation of the issues identified.”

The spokesperson said they would deal with the complaints process “in good faith”.

Mr Hall said that while MediCeram had agreed to repay the recruitment fees in instalments, the eight months it had to pay was “too lengthy”.

“Many workers have been excluded from the remediation package unfairly and irrationally by MediCeram, including repatriated and departed workers,” he said in the complaint.

He also accused Ansell of irresponsibly disengaging from MediCeram, contrary to OECD guidelines that state multinationals should work to fix problems at their suppliers rather than walking away.

Firm’s duty to prevent modern slavery, legal expert says

Ansell Mediceram workers’ August 2025 complaint letter to RBA’s Responsible Glove Alliance and remediation letter

Human Rights Law Centre associate legal director Freya Dinshaw, who sits on a board advising the government about such disputes, said the mechanism worked well when companies were willing to negotiate with complainants.

“It’s not a court, so ultimately they’re not binding, and that’s why Australia also needs to ensure that there are binding mechanisms to ensure that our companies do the right thing no matter where in the world they operate,” she said.

Ms Dinshaw said current Australian laws only require companies to report on the risks of modern slavery in their supply chain.Freya Dinshaw says Australian-based companies should be legally bound to avoid modern slavery no matter where they operate.

“Australian companies should have a duty to prevent modern slavery so that they’re legally required to investigate and address forced labour in their supply chains and face hard consequences where they don’t,” she said.

She said the importation of slave-made goods should also be banned.

The Albanese government committed to toughening Australian laws late last year but has not yet introduced legislation.Original remediation settlement

“They haven’t as yet committed to significantly strengthen the act by requiring companies to take action to address risks and as long as the act’s requirements are met by a tick box approach to addressing modern slavery, there are going to be companies that turn a blind eye to worker exploitation, even though they technically comply with the reporting requirements,” Ms Dinshaw said.

YTY/Mediceram statement 9th Sept 2025: Former Supplier Update

Tuesday, September 9, 2025

YTY is providing this update to highlight recent developments relating to earlier allegations of certain systemic forced labor conditions (the “Allegations”) in the manufacturing operations of MediCeram Sdn. Bhd. (“MediCeram,” or the “Company”), a Malaysian supplier of ceramic formers.  This update builds on our prior statement on this matter dated March 28, 2025, which is around the time we were first alerted to the Allegations.

Our relationship with MediCeram has been limited, with first commercial orders in December 2024.  Last year, MediCeram comprised less than 0.5% of our total supplier spend, making them a very small part of our supply chain.  After being alerted to the Allegations in March 2025, YTY suspended placing additional orders until such time as we completed our internal review and investigation.

Despite the limited relationship with MediCeram in both length and scale, upon learning of the Allegations YTY immediately engaged with the Company to review and investigate the claims.  In addition to working closely with MediCeram, YTY devoted significant time and effort to regularly engage with the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) and the Responsible Glove Alliance (RGA), the latter being the arm set up by RBA to focus on forced labor matters within our industry, YTY customers, and other key stakeholders to verify the Allegations and evaluate the Company’s efforts to remediate the identified areas of concern.

As part of our commitment to remain responsibly engaged with supply partners as they work through such situations, YTY continued to honor and take delivery of existing orders that had been placed prior to us becoming aware of the Allegations, even though these deliveries have remained quarantined and unutilized at our facilities until such time as we complete our internal review and investigation.  YTY also accelerated payments against any pending invoices to provide cashflow relief to MediCeram in furtherance of its ongoing remediation efforts.

Based on our sustained engagement with MediCeram in the preceding period, and the monitoring of actions undertaken by them across multiple months, we believe the Company has taken serious and credible steps to remediate the identified areas of concern and that, to the best of our knowledge at the time this statement is being issued, the Allegations have been sufficiently addressed.  We have come to this conclusion based on our onsite audits, extensive review of supporting documentation, and independent and unsupervised interviews with affected employees.

In certain limited instances, the timeline to remediate a specific allegation is still underway and has yet to conclude.  In all such instances, the Company has made good on its commitments till date under these respective timelines, and there is therefore a well-founded expectation that it will honor the remainder of these commitments as intended until they are concluded in the near-term.

The corrective actions undertaken by MediCeram have been independently verified by RGA based on a recent third-party forced labor audit it conducted specifically in reference to the Allegations, which has been shared with us with consent. Additionally, certain customers of ours, who have also independently evaluated the measures taken by MediCeram to address the Allegations, concur with our conclusions. 

Given our determination, and based on our supplier risk assessment framework, we are now able to commercially reengage with MediCeram.  We therefore expect to resume placing orders shortly with MediCeram, and will seek to provide advance payment and other forms of financial assistance to reasonably support the Company from a commercial standpoint.

YTY remains actively involved in supplier evaluations and compliance assessments around forced labor matters.  Our efforts center around training, risk assessments, and on-site audits to ensure those that we procure from are committed to sound employment practices and appropriate levels of employee welfare.

We will continue to hold our suppliers accountable to the elevated standards of professional conduct we expect from them, which are clearly documented and communicated.  Through our ongoing actions, commitment to, and efforts with, our supply chain partners, YTY looks forward to remaining an agent of positive change for our industry in the area of forced labor.

2nd July 2025 FMT: Workers at glove mould producer Mediceram back at work after successful talks

FMT Reporters

This follows an updated agreement concerning workplace issues raised by Mediceram’s 190-odd Bangladeshi workers.

Mediceram Sdn Bhd agreed to pay each worker RM22,500 over an eight-month period for the recruitment costs they incurred. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

Foreign workers at glove mould manufacturer Mediceram Sdn Bhd have returned to work following successful negotiations between the company and representatives of the employees.

Mediceram chairman Arumugam Suppiah and activist Andy Hall said this followed an updated settlement agreement concerning workplace issues raised by more than 190 of the Bangladeshi workers.

In a joint statement today, they said Mediceram had pledged to urgently address the concerns raised, including the renewal of the workers’ visas, and expediting paying back the recruitment costs they incurred.

“As an expression of the company’s enhanced commitment to more effective workplace social dialogue to prevent future disputes, Mediceram has set up an independent hotline to receive workers’ concerns, to complement the democratically elected workplace worker committee.

“Mediceram and Hall once again agreed to more effective engagement together to ensure there is proper implementation by both parties of the updated agreement between the workers and the management,” they said.

On March 6 and 18, the Bangladeshi workers staged two rounds of strikes to protest against contributions paid to agents in Bangladesh and unresolved passport and visa issues.Mediceram workers previously settled their dispute with management in May 2025 

FMT 25th May 2025: Malaysian mould manufacturer Mediceram sets up task force to resolve worker grievances following Bangladeshi migrant workers successful strike to address alleged forced labour conditions

Glove mould manufacturer Mediceram Sdn Bhd has agreed to set up an internal task force linked to a committee comprising employees to resolve future grievances. The move follows weeks of tension with its Bangladeshi workforce over alleged working conditions and the recruitment fees the workers had paid in Bangladesh before coming to Malaysia, said Arumugam Suppiah, the company’s chairman.

Sourced from: FMT by Minderjeet Kaur – 25th May 2024

Mediceram Sdn Bhd says they have reached an amicable solution with their Bangladeshi workers, who recently went on strike.

Arumugam also said the company and its Bangladeshi workers reached an amicable resolution to issues related to a recent dispute today.

“Both parties have now committed to moving forward constructively together in the best interests of all stakeholders and to ensure the profitability and economic well-being of our business,” he said in a statement.

He said both sides agreed that any future complaints from workers concerning their working and living conditions would be addressed through the in-house task force, instead of raising them on social media or the press, “to ensure constructive dialogue and timely resolution”.

Arumugam said the workers had been demanding refunds for recruitment fees they paid to Bangladeshi agents before their arrival in Malaysia.

Although Mediceram initially agreed to reimburse them, its proposal to stagger the payments over a 12-month period led to renewed protests.

About 180 Bangladeshi workers staged two rounds of strikes, on March 6 and 18, in protest against contributions paid to agents in Bangladesh and unresolved passport and visa issues.

Arumugam said the company has since agreed to pay each of the workers RM22,500, over an eight-month period, although it is not obligatory under Malaysian laws.

He also thanked migrant rights activist Andy Hall for facilitating the dialogue between the company and its Bangladeshi workers under challenging circumstances, and for Hall’s commitment to finding a fair and mutually acceptable resolution to the problem.

“While some harsh statements were indeed exchanged in the past week, and the company observed what we believe were inappropriate actions by certain individuals throughout this dispute, we humbly accept our own shortcomings in managing this situation effectively at the outset with our own workers,” he said.

Arumugam, however, disputed earlier reports by FMT that the strike by the foreign labourers was linked to unpaid wages.

The Daily Star emailed Mediceram seeking comments on the allegations, but was yet to receive a reply as of last night.

“It was due to the fees paid to recruitment agents in Bangladesh,” he said.Mediceram workers updated demands 22nd May 2025

FMT 19th May 2025: Malaysia’s Mediceram Glove Factory (supplying brands and buyers like Ansell, YTY, Top Glove) threatened to deport 60 Bangladeshi migrants amid strike, says activist

Carolyn K

Labour rights activist Andy Hall says the strike entered its third day on Sunday, with 176 workers signing a petition to their employer.

PETALING JAYA:

Sourced from: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2025/05/19/factory-threatened-to-deport-60-migrants-amid-strike-says-activist/

A glove mould manufacturer has allegedly threatened to deport 60 Bangladeshi workers after they downed tools over unpaid wages and other grievances, according to migrant rights activist Andy Hall.

He said the strike entered its third day yesterday, with 176 workers said to be participating by staying home instead of turning up for workMediceram workers updated demands on 20th May 2025 during 4th day of strike

“The factory is not officially shut, but there is no production going on,” Hall said.Mediceram situation photos

He said the workers at the factory, which supplies glove moulds to local and global glove makers, first went on strike from March 6 to 18 over arrears of salaries and overtime unpaid for months.Mediceram workers on 4th day of strike on 20th May 2025

The company paid up after intervention by his team, Hall said, and returned the passports of about 80 workers.

The workers returned to work on March 19, but tensions escalated again when the workers demanded refunds of RM22,500 each in fees and related costs incurred before arriving in Malaysia.

Hall said the company agreed to refund the costs but only over a 12-month period, which led to a new strike on Friday. The workers demanded that future wages be paid on time, all passports be renewed, and visas extended without further delay.Mediceram worker protest on 16th May 2025 at their hostel

He alleged that the company’s managing director had threatened to deport “not just one person” but 60, saying if they stopped work, they would all be sent back because there was no more work.

Hall said a Bangladeshi official had visited the company on Thursday and met with the workers; he had also met human resources minister Steven Sim in Putrajaya on Thursday together with another senior Bangladeshi official.Mediceram workers protest on 20th May 2025 at their hosye

FMT has sought comment from the labour department as well as the company.
worker protest slogansWorkers negotiate with management May 2025

Daily Star 18th May 2025 – Bangladeshi Migrant Worker at Mediceram Sdn Bhd Glove Company in Malaysia (supplying Ansell, YTY, Top Glove and other local and global gloves brands) faces deportation after speaking up on modern slavery and forced labour allegations

Bangladeshi migrant workers protest at Mediceram Sdn Bhd during a three day strike from 16-18 May 2025

Porimol Palma

Sun May 18, 2025

Sourced from: https://www.thedailystar.net/nrb/migration/news/migrants-malaysia-worker-faces-deportation-after-speaking-3897136

A Malaysian company has revoked the work permit of a Bangladeshi migrant and threatened to do the same to 60 others on Thursday, a day after the workers talked to Expatriates’ Welfare Adviser Prof Asif Nazrul about poor working conditions, several workers have said.Bangladeshi migrant workers protest at Mediceram Sdn Bhd during a three day strike from 16-18 May 2025

The management of Negeri Sembilan-based Mediceram, which manufactures rubber gloves, called the worker named Nahid Ibrahim and told him that his work permit would be revoked and he would be deported, they said.

During his four-day visit to Malaysia from May 13-16, the adviser met the Mediceram workers and held meetings with three Malaysian ministers to discuss how the Southeast Asian country can reopen its labour market for Bangladeshis and address the problems facing the workers.Bangladeshi migrant workers protest at Mediceram Sdn Bhd during a three day strike from 16-18 May 2025

Amid reports of irregularities in overseas recruitment, Malaysia suspended hiring Bangladesh workers in May last year.Ansell is a key buyer from Mediceram

Requesting anonymity, a worker of the gloves factory said, “We were shocked when we heard that Nahid would be deported and protested. Then, the management said it has a list of 60 of us who would be deported.”

Nearly 200 workers then began a strike on Friday, he said, requesting not to be named for fear of backlash.Bangladeshi migrant workers protest at Mediceram Sdn Bhd during a three day strike from 16-18 May 2025

In an email to Prof Asif’s Private Secretary Sarwoer Alam, Nahid wrote, “The company followed me and heard what I said about labour issues with our adviser. All of a sudden, they called me to the office and said I would be deported.”

The email was also sent to the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur.Nahid’s email pleading for support to Bangaldeshi officials in KL and Dhaka

Nahid went to Malaysia under a three-year contract and his visa expires in August this year. He spent more than Tk 5 lakh to reach the country and is still in debt because the company had not paid him regularly, according to the email.

“Please discuss with the company and stand by me and my family,” Nahid wrote.Workers protest at Mediceram Sdn Bhd during 16-17 May 2025

Nahid told The Daily Star yesterday that neither the adviser’s PS nor the High Commission responded to the email.

According to a letter submitted to Prof Asif on May 14, the Bangladeshis workers gave between Tk 500,000 and Tk 600,000 to a recruiting agency named Greenland for jobs in Malaysia.Workers complaint letter submitted to Asif Nazrul on 14th May 2025 at Mediceram

“Before our flights, they forced us to say on camera that we paid only Tk 78,000,” reads the letter.

However, wages have been irregular for the last two years. In some months, the company pays only half or one-third of the salary, it said.

“Our families are now in deep financial crises. Our debts have doubled. In some months, we had to borrow more money from Bangladesh just to afford food here,” it said.Bangladeshi migrant workers protest at Mediceram Sdn Bhd during a three day strike from 16-18 May 2025

Under such circumstances, they filed a complaint to the Labour Court late last year and then to the Bangladesh High Commission, but got no remedy.

They then contacted a migrant rights activist Andy Hall, who raised the issue with Mediceram and then got the labour issues audited by a third party.

At one point of time, Mediceram agreed to pay wages regularly and repay Malaysian Ringgit (RM) 22,500, which was spent as recruitment fees. It also paid RM 1,000 as an advance, assuring that another RM 875 would be paid on May 31, and the remaining amount would be paid in 12 months.Mediceram workers all sign letter with three demands to Mediceram buyers and the RBA/RGA in early May 2025

“But this payment plan is extremely difficult for us and poses a major challenge for our families,” they said in the letter.

They have also requested the company to pay the full recruitment fee in a single installment.Worker conditions at Mediceram Sdn Bhd glove mold factory during the strike and shut down, which is now entering day three 

Earlier, Mediceram had deported 35 workers to Bangladesh without any notice. Currently, the work permits of 170 have not been renewed. Some have been without a visa for a year, others for two years. A few months ago, four workers were arrested as they had no valid visas, but the company has not taken any responsibility, the letter says.

“We urge that our visas be renewed within next month and earnestly request you to resolve all these issues,” the letter said.

Prof Asif met these migrants on the Mediceram company premises, advised them to solve any problem through discussion and not do anything that can be harmful for them or the company.Bangaldeshi government visited Mediceram on 14th May 2025

He also provided the email and phone number so that the migrants could directly contact him.

Adviser Asif and his PS Sarower could not be reached over phone for comments yesterday.

Advisor Asif Nazrul with Mediceram workers on 14th May 2025 at Mediceram

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FMT 15th May 2025: Bangladeshi foreign workers in alleged situation of forced labour threaten to go on strike again at mould-making plant Mediceram

Sean Augustin

Activist Andy Hall says the Bangladeshis are unhappy that one of their colleagues’ working visa has been cancelled.

PETALING JAYA:

Sourced from: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2025/05/15/foreign-workers-threaten-to-go-on-strike-again-at-mould-making-plant

Bangladeshi workers employed by a ceramic former and specialist gloves mould manufacturer have threatened to go on strike for a second time tomorrow after one of their colleagues allegedly had his work visa cancelled.

Migrant worker rights activist Andy Hall said the workers at the factory alleged that the worker had been singled out today by the company for being a ringleader in highlighting non-payment of wages and other grievances in the past.Mediceram workers protest slogans 

—

Daily Star 15th May 2025: Migration – ‘Contact me if you face any trouble’ – Asif Nazrul tells Mediceram migrant workers in Malaysia

—

In March, FMT reported that some 190 Bangladeshi workers at the factory, based in a southern state, had gone without pay for three months or payment for overtime work for five months.

Hall had also said then that the workers were in debt bondage after paying exorbitant recruitment fees and costs in the hope of finding jobs in Malaysia.Mediceram agreed to a 12 months reimbursement of 22,500RM recruitment fees but workers want the repayment paid in one go

The group also claimed that they had been inconsistently paid since 2023 and alleged that they were being put up in poor living conditions and not allowed to keep their passports while their work visas had also expired.

Contacted today, Hall said he was puzzled as to why the company would cancel the visa of the worker, with the man’s colleagues claiming it was unjust.

Hall said he was also at a loss over the company’s action when it had agreed to several demands by the foreign labourers in recent months to get them to return to work after a prolonged strike.

“Apart from agreeing to pay the back wages, the company provided an improved hostel, and the workers were happy with the living conditions.

“It seemed that some issues had been resolved amicably, so this decision to cancel an alleged whistleblower’s visa came as a surprise to me,” he said.

He hoped that the company would take the allegation of whistleblower intimidation seriously and investigate the claims.

He also defended the whistleblower, saying he played an important role in highlighting the alleged abuses and did so out of desperation.

He said the employee was not trying to be a “trouble maker”.

Following a third party audit at the factory as a result of the complaints by Hall and the workers in late April, the company offered all of the workers RM22,500 each over 12 months as repayment for their recruitment fees and costs paid to secure work at the company.

The workers’ back wages were also promptly cleared.

In a message to Hall, a representative of the company denied claims that they had cancelled the worker’s visa, saying it was a clerical error, and labelled such allegations as “misinformation”.

“There is no retaliation (towards the worker),” the representative said.

FMT has sought comments from the company and is withholding its identity pending a response.

—

Daily Star 15th May 2025: Migration – ‘Contact me if you face any trouble’ – Asif Nazrul tells Mediceram migrant workers in Malaysia

—

FMT 28th Mar 2025: Glove maker YTY says Malaysian ceramic mould supplier Mediceram may be involved in forced labour practices

PETALING JAYA: Rubber glove maker YTY Group today said one of its Malaysia-based ceramic mould suppliers may be involved in “systemic” forced labour practices. In a statement on its company website, the group said a preliminary engagement with the said supplier, whose identity is being withheld, after recent allegations came to light, “suggests there have been instances of forced labour lapses”.

Original Source: FMT Reporters – 28 March 2025 

YTY Group says it will engage with the company to determine why these lapses occurred, and when and how it will remedy them.

Such incidents occurred despite documentation provided that indicated compliance by the said supplier, the company said.

“While we are disappointed to learn of this, our focus at this time is to constructively engage with the company to determine why these lapses occurred, and what the timeline and path to remediation will be,” it said.

YTY Group said its preferred approach when dealing with such allegations was to engage with the supplier in question as they seek to regain compliance, rather than reactively cancelling current or future purchase contracts.

It said such a measure ensured ongoing employment and continued compensation for the affected employees.

“By the same token, if we do not see positive intent, and dedicated effort on the part of the supplier to address forced labour concerns in a reasonable timeframe, we will not hesitate to conclude our relationship with them,” it said.

Earlier this month, FMT reported migrant worker rights activist Andy Hall as claiming that close to 200 Bangladeshi workers employed by the same ceramic former and specialist gloves mould manufacturer had gone without pay for three months.

Hall had claimed that payment for overtime work for the past five months was outstanding, and the workers were not allowed to keep their passports and were being put up in poor living conditions.

He also said the workers, based in a southern state, claimed that they had been inconsistently paid since 2023 and were in severe debt after paying exorbitant recruitment related costs in the hope of finding jobs in Malaysia in 2017, 2018 and 2023.

About 130 workers from the group were reported to have filed a formal complaint against the company at a labour department in early March, which remains outstanding.

Contacted today, Hall said that while the workers have reported improvements in their working conditions since their complaints came to light, they remained in considerable debt bondage while still living in poor housing conditions.

He also said the majority of the workers had still not got back their passports.

“Debt bondage and confiscation of personal documents are both serious ILO indicators of forced labour or modern slavery,” he said.

“This supplier must, therefore, urgently reimburse the workers their recruitment fees and costs, estimated to be about RM17,000 per person, to take them out of debt, and also return their passports.”

Hall said if the supplier was not in a healthy financial situation, it should request support from its well-known Malaysian and international customers to complete the reimbursement process without further delay.

28th Mar 2025: YTY Gloves Group Statement on Mediceram (Malaysian Ceramics Glove Former Supplier) Forced Labour Allegations 

Original Source: HERE – Friday, March 28, 2025

YTY has recently been made aware of allegations of certain instances of systemic forced labor at a supplier of ours, Mediceram Sdn. Bhd. (“Mediceram”), who is a manufacturer of ceramic formers, the type used in the production of single-use gloves.

YTY adopts a strict policy of ensuring that the suppliers we engage with are committed to sound employment practices. These practices include enhancing corporate governance standards, improving workplace safety, implementing a sustainability roadmap, and adopting best-in-class labor practices that include treating employees with fairness, dignity, and respect.

Our relationship with Mediceram is a recently formed one, evidenced by our first commercial orders delivering in December 2024. In 2024, Mediceram comprised less than 0.5% of our total supplier spend, making them a very small part of our supply chain.

Irrespective of the size of the relationship, every supplier is required to conform to YTY’s Supplier Code of Conduct, which highlights in detail elevated standards of professional conduct that are aligned with those set by leading agencies in this space, such as the International Labor Organization (ILO), the United Nations (UN), Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP), and SEDEX, to name but a few. These standards include, identify, and extensively focus on forced labor risks.

Prior to our commercial engagement, Mediceram reviewed and voluntarily, but unequivocally, confirmed compliance with YTY’s Supplier Code of Conduct.

As an additional precautionary measure, prior to our commercial engagement, YTY conducted a risk assessment survey, whereby specific corporate policies, practices, and protocols were reviewed to determine Mediceram’s compliance with forced labor standards, and their general conformance to the high standards of professional conduct we expect of suppliers joining our network.

Based on the documentation provided by Mediceram at that time, they were deemed to be in compliance.

In short, a number of credible steps were taken by YTY prior to establishing a commercial relationship to conduct reasonable due diligence and gain comfort with the fact that Mediceram was in compliance with forced labor regulations, and operated with acceptable employment practices.

Furthermore, an additional, and more in-depth, assessment in the form of an on-site audit was planned for later this year as the size and scale of the relationship was expected to grow.

Our preliminary engagement with Mediceram after being made aware of the recent allegations suggests there have been instances of forced labor lapses, despite documentation provided to us at that time which indicated compliance. While we are disappointed to learn of this, our focus at this time is to constructively engage with Mediceram to determine why these lapses occurred, and what the timeline and path to remediation will be.

YTY remains committed to ensuring we maintain long-term supply relations with partners who are fully able to meet the high professional standards we set for them, which are in line with those we set for ourselves. At the same time, in situations like this, our preferred approach remains to engage with the supplier in question as they seek to regain compliance, rather than reactively cancelling current or future purchase contracts. This ensures ongoing employment and continued compensation for the affected employees.

By the same token, if we do not see positive intent, and dedicated effort, on the part of the supplier to address forced labor concerns in a reasonable timeframe, we will not hesitate to conclude our relationship with them.

FMT 8th Mar 2025: Workers at glove mould-making plant in Malaysia, supplying leading domestic and international gloves companies, not paid for 3 months, claims activist (another alleged Malaysian modern slavery related case)

FMT 8th Mar 2025: Workers at glove mould-making plant in Malaysia, supplying leading domestic and international gloves companies, not paid for 3 months, claims activist (another alleged Malaysian modern slavery related case)

Alysha Edward

08 Mar 2025

Andy Hall says about 190 Bangladeshis have been left in debt and struggling to pay off their recruitment fees.The workers are employed by a ceramic former and specialist gloves mould manufacturer (Bernama pic)

Sourced from: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2025/03/08/workers-at-mould-making-plant-not-paid-for-3-months-claims-activist/

PETALING JAYA: Close to 200 Bangladeshi workers employed by a ceramic former and specialist gloves mould manufacturer have gone without pay for three months, a migrant worker rights activist has claimed.

Andy Hall said based on information gathered by a team member helping the workers claim their rights, some 190 of them have not received their basic pay for three months or payment for overtime work for the past five months (nb. length of overtime non payment remains in dispute).

The workers are also in debt after paying exorbitant recruitment fees in the hope of finding jobs in Malaysia, he said.

Hall said the group, based in a southern state, also claimed that they have been inconsistently paid since 2023.Management memo issued on 5th March 2025, but company has now said back wages will be settled by end of March 2025

They also alleged that they are being put up in poor living conditions and are not allowed to keep their passports.

FMT is withholding the name of the company pending its response.Workers demands as submitted to JTK Negeri Sembilan on 6th Mar 2025. The workers have stated they will not return to work until their back wages are fully paid 

“This inconsistent payment of wages has forced the workers to take loans from banks or borrow money from relatives to pay off their recruitment fees, which are about RM25,000.Mediceram original response to workers demand on 18th March 2025

“Now, they are struggling to settle these bank loans, and the interest is increasing,” Hall said.

However, he said local and international buyers of the company’s moulds that he has engaged with in the past few days have helped to address the situation, and the company has agreed to settle the outstanding salaries by the end of this month.Company memo of 7th Mar 2025 outlining the return process for 88 affected workers’ passports 

About 50 workers from the group were reported to have filed a complaint against the company at the labour department yesterday.

Hall said companies supplying moulds to leading local and international glove manufacturers should be investigated if they are employing forced labour.

“Each major glove company uses millions of moulds every year, so there is a need to ask for evidence of the conditions under which these moulds are made,” he said.

Past Related Malaysian Gloves and Modern Slavery Related Stories 

26th Sept 2024: Former Malaysian gloves plant workers sue Kimberly-Clark. They allege abuse at company’s supplier Brightway

20th Sep 2023: CBP modifies withhold release order against Supermax Corporation Bhd. and its subsidiaries

26th Feb 2023: Malaysian glovemakers must show ‘no forced labour’ to sell to UK’s National Health Service.

August 18 2022: Migrant workers at Malaysian glove maker Brightway Holdings file US lawsuit against Kimberly-Clark Corp & Ansell, accusing them of “knowingly profiting” from alleged use of forced labour

August 12 2022: Full case submission now available online for the former Brightway Gloves (Malaysia) Bangladeshi workers US court case claims related to forced labour against Ansell and Kimberly Clark Corporation (KCC)

10th August 2022 Reuters: Ex-workers at Malaysian supplier sue Kimberly-Clark, Ansell over alleged labour abuse

10th August 2022: Ansell and Kimberly-Clark Sued in US Federal Court by Trafficking and Forced Labor Victims from Malaysian Glove Company

16th June 2022: My comment on Norway wealth fund putting Malaysia’s Supermax Corp under observation.

The Diplomat, April 4, 2022 – After Pressure, Growing Transparency in Malaysia’s Glove Industry

8th Feb 2022: Malaysia’s scandal-hit Supermax pays $6 million in compensation to migrant workers.

28th Dec 2021 Reuters: Ansell halts orders from Malaysian glove maker Brightway after US ban 

The Sydney Morning Herald, December 21, 2021 – Gloves off: Ansell under fire over “modern slavery” at Malaysian supplier 

20th Dec 2021 Reuters: U.S. Customs bans fifth Malaysian glove maker Brightway over alleged forced labour

14th September 2021 – The Diplomat: Debt Bondage Payouts Flow to Workers in Malaysia’s Glove Industry 

Reuters, September 10, 2021 – U.S. lifts import ban on Malaysia’s Top Glove over forced labour concerns

VOA, July 7, 2021 – Forced Labor Rising in Malaysia’s Rubber Glove Factories, Study Shows

Reuters, May 29, 2021: U.S. probes two Malaysian glove makers over forced labour allegations – report Reuters

20th May 2021 Reuters Insight: ‘Slavery’ found at a Malaysian glove factory. Why didn’t the auditor see it?

The Guardian, March 30, 2021 – US bars rubber gloves from Malaysian from due to ‘evidence of forced labour’

CNN, March 30, 2021 – US will seize all Top Glove imports after finding ‘sufficient evidence’ of forced labour

Reuters, March 30, 2021 – U.S. Customs says forced labour used at Malaysia’s Top Glove, to seize gloves

28th Dec 2020 Malay Mail: Human Resources Ministry – Brightway Holdings, two subsidiaries to face 30 charges over workers accommodation

21st Dec 2020: Malaysia: Hundreds of migrant workers subject to “squalid” onsite living conditions at glove manufacturers owned by Brightway Holdings; Incl. buyer responses

VOA, November 19, 2020 – After US Sanctions, Malaysia Migrant Workers Get Millions in Restitution from Glove Makers

CNN, September 11, 2020 – The world’s top suppliers of disposable gloves are thriving because of the pandemic. Their workers aren’t

VOA, July 17, 2020 – US Bars Imports from Top Rubber Glove Maker Amid COVID Surge

Newsroom, July 28, 2020 – Are your disposable gloves made using forced labour?

Reuters, July 16, 2020 – Amid virus crisis, U.S. bars imports of Malaysia’s Top Glove over labour issues

Associated Press (AP), March 4, 2020 – Key medical glove factories cutting staff 50% amid virus

VOA, October 11, 2019 – US Ban on Malaysian Glove Maker Highlights ‘Systemic’ Labor Abuse

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Why Human Rights Matter to Business?

Risky Business with Darian McBain: Asia

15th January 2024

Why Human Rights Matter to Business with Darian McBain – Interview with Andy Hall – Migrant Worker Rights Specialist

Asian business is changing. Customer demands, government regulations, stakeholder expectations, they are all evolving under the pressure of the environmental crisis. And even the most robust business models are starting to show cracks. But it’s through those cracks that opportunities arrive.

Do you know how to navigate this new normal?

Andy Hall is a human rights defender, a researcher/investigator and activist, and an independent specialist on migrant worker rights.

In this episode of Risky Business, Andy talks about how he uncovered – and helped to tackle – the problem of labour rights abuses in Malaysia’s latex glove industry.

Click HERE to listen 

The post Associated Press World News 10th Nov 2025: Bangladeshi workers protest over unpaid wages and mistreatment claims in Malaysian global supply chain factories (today’s Dhaka human chain protest summaries) appeared first on Andy Hall.

Migrants appoint legal counsel, refuse to return to work under same management 

Star Online Report

Sat Nov 8, 2025 10:14 PM

Sourced from: https://www.thedailystar.net/nrb/migration/news/152-bangladeshi-workers-malaysia-protest-forced-repatriation-4030126

At least 152 Bangladeshi migrant workers in Malaysia today wrote an open letter, protesting forced repatriation and urging the Bangladesh mission in Kuala Lumpur, international organisations and civil society groups to intervene in their case of termination by their employer Mediceram.

About 180 Bangladeshi workers were handed termination letters on October 31 as they protested non-renewal of visas of more than 90 fellow workers.

On November 4, Malaysian authorities deported 10 of them after the gloves company executives forcibly took them to the airport in Kuala Lumpur.

On November 7, additional six Bangladeshis were deported the same way.

Meanwhile, the group of 152 workers living in fear and intimidation in Selangor district appointed Louis Liaw Chambers as their legal counsel to legally support their case and wrote an open letter to express their collective and united position regarding the ongoing situation.

“Despite continuous threats, intimidation, and the forced repatriation of our democratically elected worker representatives, we have collectively decided that we will not go back to work under the same management and conditions that violated our dignity, rights, and safety,” said the letter.

They sought an immediate transfer to a law-abiding and responsible employer in Malaysia.

“We respectfully call upon the governments of Bangladesh and Malaysia, as well as all relevant authorities, to support this transfer process urgently and ensure our continued lawful employment in Malaysia.”

They said they do not want to be forcibly sent back to Bangladesh.

“We will peacefully and lawfully resist any attempt at forced repatriation. We remain committed to abiding by the laws and regulations of Malaysia, while standing firm in our right to dignity, justice, and fair treatment,” they said.

They urge all concerned parties including the Malaysian authorities, the Bangladesh High Commission, international organisations, and civil society groups to take immediate notice of their situation and intervene to protect their fundamental rights as migrant workers.

These migrants went to Malaysia in 2023, paying amounts ranging from Tk 450,000 to Tk 600,000. The company has been irregular in payments, as well as made low pays, causing debt to the migrants.

There are about 800,000 Bangladeshis working in Malaysia, which faced criticism for approving a syndicate of 101 recruiting agencies in 2022. Between 2022 and 2024, more than 450,000 Bangladeshis migrated to Malaysia.

It suspended recruitment of foreign workers, including Bangladeshis, on May 31 last year amid allegations of syndication, excessive recruitment fees and labour abuses

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Daily Star 6th Nov 2025: Dream turns into despair for 10 deported Bangladeshi migrants from Mediceram in Malaysia (Ansell/YTY gloves supply chain factory)

Daily Star 6th Nov 2025: Dream turns into despair for 10 deported Bangladeshi migrants from Mediceram in Malaysia (Ansell/YTY gloves supply chain factory)

Bangladesh

Porimol Palma

Mediceram in Malaysia

Thu Nov 6, 2025

Sourced from: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/dream-turns-despair-10-deported-migrants-4028131

Like many others, Sufian Khan borrowed a large sum of money, hoping to go to Malaysia to change his fortune.

He spent over Tk 4.5 lakh to make the arrangements, dreaming of a better life for his family.

But his dream soon turned into despair when he, along with nine others, was deported by Malaysian authorities early yesterday.

“I still have a loan of over Tk 1 lakh,” he told The Daily Star from Barishal.

Sufian said they were forcibly taken to Kuala Lumpur International Airport by executives of Malaysian glove manufacturing company Mediceram, based in Selangor.

The company terminated all 180 Bangladeshi workers on October 31 after they protested the non-renewal of visas for more than 90 of them.

The company terminated all 180 Bangladeshi workers on October 31 after they protested the non-renewal of visas for more than 90 of them.

Following their termination, some of the workers went to the Bangladesh High Commission seeking help, but received none.

A Mediceram executive was present at the high commission and held a meeting for about two and a half hours, while the workers were kept waiting outside, said another deportee, Nironjan. “When we finally got to speak, the high commission officials told us they could do nothing about it,” he said.

The migrants also turned to the immigration and labour departments in Kuala Lumpur, but no one accepted their complaints, said Nironjan.

“On November 4, Mediceram executives dragged us onto a bus to the airport. We were literally crying,” said Sufian.

He said Mediceram had been irregular in paying wages since they joined in April 2023 through the recruiting agency Greenland Overseas.

“We were paid as little as 200 Malaysian ringgit a month,” he said, adding that the company also failed to renew their work visas on time.

After repeated demonstrations and complaints, Mediceram eventually paid the recruitment fees, but most of the migrants were left in uncertainty and faced the threat of police detention due to expired visas.

As a result, they went on a work abstention on October 27 but were soon terminated.

Another migrant, who is still staying at Mediceram’s hostel, told this correspondent that the remaining 170 Bangladeshi workers are living in fear, as company executives have also threatened them with deportation.

Back home, the deportees say they feel abused, defrauded, and deprived of justice and have no idea what to do next.

“I have my parents and wife at home. I still owe one lakh taka. I am totally undone,” said Sufian.

Contacted, Bangladesh’s Deputy High Commissioner in Malaysia, Shahanara Monica, said the mission has sent a report to Dhaka regarding the incident.

“Until we hear back from them, we cannot make any comment,” she said yesterday evening.

There are around 800,000 Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia, including 450,000 who migrated between 2022 and 2024 through a syndicate of 101 recruiting agencies.

Recruitment has remained suspended since May last year

Break the syndicates, not the dreams of Malaysia-bound workers

Save our migrants in Malaysia

Daily Star 5th Nov 2025: Malaysia’s Mediceram, in Ansell’s global gloves supply chain, forcibly and involuntarily sends back 10 Bangladeshis

Glove manufacturer earlier terminated 190 Bangladeshis for protesting exploitative practices 

Sourced from: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/malaysias-mediceram-sends-back-10-bangladeshis-4027116

Star Online Report

Wed Nov 5th 2025

Photo: Collected

The Malaysian glove company Mediceram, which terminated about 190 Bangladeshi workers on October 31, sent back at least 10 of them last night and is preparing to send more to Dhaka.

One of the deported workers, Nironjon, told The Daily Star from Kuala Lumpur International Airport that he was forced onto a flight by Mediceram executives at 11:00pm last night after he went to file a case against the cancellation of their visas and deportation.

“They said if we don’t take the flight, immigration will arrest and detain us as illegal aliens,” he said 

Recruited in 2023, the workers faced non-payment, irregular wages, and non-renewal of visas. They organised eight to nine protests over the years, but each time the company’s promises to settle debts and meet demands were broken.

The situation escalated on September 30, when immigration officers raided the factory and detained about 90 workers for allegedly lacking valid visas. Although recruitment fees were reimbursed on October 27, the company has yet to return the workers’ passports or renew their visas.

Andy Hall, a migrant rights activist, said the workers had refused to leave voluntarily but were forced onto buses to the airport under extreme pressure and threats. He added that Mediceram could deport 24 more workers on November 5.

“Even the involvement of government agencies has failed to bring meaningful pressure or decisive action to resolve the workers’ claims,” he noted.

In a statement, the Migrant Workers’ Network condemned the deportations, saying, “The deportation of the migrants suggests that demanding rights has become a crime. We strongly condemn the repressive treatment by Mediceram and demand immediate reinstatement and security of the workers.”

Daily Star 4th Nov 2025: MEDICERAM IN MALAYSIA – 190 Bangladeshis in Ansell global gloves supply chain fired for protesting exploitation

Daily Star 4th Nov 2025: MEDICERAM IN MALAYSIA – 190 Bangladeshis in Ansell global gloves supply chain fired for protesting exploitation

Daily Star 4th Nov 2025: MEDICERAM IN MALAYSIA – 190 Bangladeshis in Ansell global gloves supply chain fired for protesting exploitation

Bangladesh

Sourced from: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/190-bangladeshis-fired-protesting-exploitation-4026331

MEDICERAM IN MALAYSIA

190 Bangladeshis fired for protesting exploitation

Mediceram workers yesterday in Negeri Sembilan at government offices, all of which alleged rejected their complaints

DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT

Tue Nov 4, 2025 12:00 AM Last update on: Tue Nov 4, 2025 08:15 AM 

A Malaysian gloves manufacturer has terminated 190 Bangladeshi workers for protesting against exploitative practices, including the non-renewal of their visas.

The migrant workers at the Kuala Lumpur-based company Mediceram told The Daily Star yesterday that the management handed termination letters to all Bangladeshi employees on October 31 and has begun cancelling their visas to deport them.Mediceram workers protesting at Negeri Sembilan government officials yesterday, with PSM team

“I heard visas of six Bangladeshis have already been cancelled and the company will do the same for others,” said one worker.

“We also went to the Malaysian labour court and immigration department with a legal counsellor, but we were told that we cannot file any complaint,” the worker said.

Summary of Complaints Filed by 18 Workers to Government Departments on 3rd Nov 2025.pdfDownload

Over the past two years, since 2023, Mediceram workers have gone on strike multiple times, demanding payment of unpaid wages and recruitment fees.

Even Expatriates’ Welfare Adviser Asif Nazrul had visited the workers in May and assured them their problems would be resolved.

We also went to the Malaysian labour court and immigration department with a legal counsellor, but we were told that we cannot file any complaint.

— A sacked worker

“We had unpaid salary and visa renewal issues for many months. Eventually, the company renewed visas for nearly 90 workers but not for the rest,” said another worker.

Around 90 others continued facing problems as their visas were not renewed despite the company’s promise. “So, we went on strike from October 23,” he added.

Malaysia-based migrant rights groups — Workers’ Solidarity Network, Socialis Alternative and Angkatan Kesatuan Siswa Sosialis — issued a joint statement condemning the company’s actions and demanding an end to the unlawful forced deportation.

They said the migrant workers were subjected to “slave-like conditions”, with confiscated passports, delayed salaries, unrenewed visas and frequent threats from employers.

The statement said Mediceram has faced similar allegations since 2017.

Between 2022 and 2024, around 4.5 lakh Bangladeshis were recruited in Malaysia but were charged Tk 4.5 lakh to Tk 6 lakh, leaving many in debt and unemployed.

The statement said Mediceram workers had organised eight or nine protests over the years, and each time the employer made promises to settle outstanding debts and meet the workers’ demands — promises that were repeatedly broken.

“Even the involvement of government agencies has failed to bring meaningful pressure or decisive action to resolve the workers’ claims,” it said.

The situation worsened on September 30 when immigration officers raided the factory and detained about 90 workers for allegedly not having valid visas.

“In reality, all of them were legal employees, but the company failed to renew their visas,” the statement added.

Although recruitment fees were reimbursed on October 27, the company has yet to return the workers’ passports or renew their visas.

—

Statement for Immediate Release 3rd Nov 2025: Around 190 Bangladeshi Migrant Workers at Mediceram Dismissed for Demanding Fair and Dignified Working Conditions

Public Statement by the Workers’ Solidarity Network, Sosialis Alternatif and AKSI (Angkatan Kesatuan Siswa Sosialis)

03/11/2025

Mediceram workers have gone on strike several times to demand payment of recruitment fees and unpaid wages. They work in slave-like conditions — passports confiscated, salaries delayed, visas not renewed, and frequent threats from their employers. Despite repeated protests, the employers have not kept their promises and the authorities have failed to take firm action.

Also available at https://www.instagram.com/p/DQlcmBEDyQx/?igsh=MWVncnBsbW9qcHZuZg== and https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1PJPKFTmmB/

PSM statement 3rd Nov 2025: 180 Migrant Workers laid off simply for demanding fair employment rights and safe environment (original Malay language180 Pekerja Migrin dipecat hanya kerana menuntut hak pekerjaan yang adil serta persekitaran yang selamat.)

Breaking News 31st Oct: Malaysia’s Mediceram, Supplier to Global Gloves Industry including Ansell, YTY and Top Glove, Allegedly Terminates All 180 Bangladeshi Foreign Workers, Alleged Victims of Forced Labour, and Moves to Force Repatriation to Bangladesh – 31 October 2025 | Selangor, Malaysia

—

On October 31, all were terminated and told to prepare for deportation, accused of being absent without reason.

“This is a blatant distortion of the truth,” the statement said, calling for immediate reinstatement of the workers, return of their passports and renewal of their visas.

“Mediceram must take full legal responsibility for its obligations,” it added.

Workers complaint to management Mediceram Oct25Download

Mediceram unfair dismissal workers statement 3rd Nov 2025Download

Workers dismissal letters Oct 2025Workers dismissal letters Oct 2025

Mediceram workers on filing OECD complaint in Australia against Ansell in August 2025

ABC News: 11th Sept 2025: Australian glove-maker Ansell accused of exploiting workers at Malaysian factory of supplier, MediCeram

Ansell, a key global healthcare products buyer from Mediceram 

ABC News: 11th Sept 2025: Australian glove-maker Ansell accused of exploiting workers at Malaysian factory of supplier, MediCeram

Original Source: ABC News by Ben Butler– 11th September 202

In short:

A complaint lodged at the federal Treasury claims 220 Bangladeshi workers at a Malaysian factory where moulds for Ansell gloves are made have suffered serious human rights abuses. 

Ansell, headquartered in Melbourne, says it has looked into the allegations and identified breaches of international labour standards.

However, the Malaysian company’s chairman denies the allegations.

—

Australian glove-maker Ansell is being accused of using an overseas supplier that has allegedly exploited more than 200 factory workers — including through forced labour — in a complaint lodged with the federal government.

The Melbourne-based company confirmed to the ABC that it has investigated allegations involving workers at the Malaysian factory, among others, and “identified a number of issues that did not meet international labour standards”.

It is now the subject of a complaint lodged with the federal Treasury — where disputes over minimum labour standards at multinational companies are filed — by international labour activist Andy Hall.Original worker demandsOriginal worker demands 

According to the complaint, more than 220 Bangladeshi workers at MediCeram, which makes moulds for Ansell’s gloves, “have suffered serious abuses of fundamental worker and human rights”.Ansell is a Melbourne-based company that makes gloves as well as other personal protection equipment for the healthcare industry.  (ABC News: John Gunn)Workers OECD complaint against Ansell in Australia 

The alleged abuses include wage theft, forced labour and debt bondage, as well as the deportation of workers who complained about their treatment.

MediCeram vehemently denies any abuse of its workers.

In his complaint, Mr Hall said the workers paid fees of about $US5,200 each to recruiters in Bangladesh, leaving them in debt bondage.

Ansell Advances Labour Rights Across Its Supply Chain Press Release August 2025.pdf (recent statement)Download

Many took industrial action in March over allegations of several months of unpaid wages and overtime, according to the complaint.

Mr Hall also alleged that some workers had been deprived of their passports for periods of time and their work visas had not been renewed.

He alleged that about 33 workers who complained to management were sacked and deported.

“Ansell’s due diligence measures failed to prevent the forced labour and retribution by termination in this instance,” Mr Hall said in the complaint.

One Bangladeshi employee, speaking anonymously to the ABC over concerns about his employment, said six workers were housed in each room at MediCeram’s accommodation.

Chairman of Malaysian company denies allegations

Workers original demands March 2025 at Mediceram

Mr Hall filed the complaint with Treasury because it runs the Australian National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct (AusNCP) — the designated “national contact point” for dealing with such disputes under an arrangement set up by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

(270525) Ansell – Mediceram statement – for customers.pdfDownload

(20250624) Ansell – Mediceram Letter.pdfDownload

It is the second time labour activists have used the mechanism to allege breaches of workers’ rights at suppliers to Ansell.

In 2017, Treasury settled a dispute between the company and the union IndustriALL. In that matter, it was alleged that workers at Ansell factories in Sri Lanka and Malaysia were coerced into agreeing to unsafe working conditions and suffered significant health issues from workplace contamination. Ansell denied the allegations.Ansell has previously denied allegations of unsafe working conditions at its factories. (Facebook: Ansell)

MediCeram supplies moulds of hands that are dipped into latex or plastic to make gloves for Ansell. The Malaysian company’s chairman, Arumugam Suppiah, denied all of Mr Hall’s allegations.

“This is unfair, and intimidation by the so-called labour activist,” he told the ABC.

“Ansell is a respectable company and MediCeram has complied with all local rules.

“All the allegations can be refuted with supporting documents.”

He said Ansell continued to support MediCeram, but had not bought anything from the company for three months.On their corporate Facebook page, Ansell advertises the size of their glove business. (Facebook: Ansell)

An Ansell spokesperson said the company “pre-ordered, expedited payment for and took advance delivery of over one year’s worth of ceramic formers to support the supplier’s cash flow” so that MediCeram could fund repayments to workers and a remediation package.

The spokesperson confirmed Ansell investigated MediCeram and other ceramic-former suppliers earlier this year and “identified a number of issues that did not meet international labour standards or comply with our supplier code of conduct”.

“Ansell has deliberately chosen not to walk away from the suppliers, including the supplier that is the subject of the AusNCP complaint,” the spokesperson said.

“We continue to engage with them closely to encourage their mitigation and remediation of the issues identified.”

The spokesperson said they would deal with the complaints process “in good faith”.

Mr Hall said that while MediCeram had agreed to repay the recruitment fees in instalments, the eight months it had to pay was “too lengthy”.

“Many workers have been excluded from the remediation package unfairly and irrationally by MediCeram, including repatriated and departed workers,” he said in the complaint.

He also accused Ansell of irresponsibly disengaging from MediCeram, contrary to OECD guidelines that state multinationals should work to fix problems at their suppliers rather than walking away.

Firm’s duty to prevent modern slavery, legal expert says

Ansell Mediceram workers’ August 2025 complaint letter to RBA’s Responsible Glove Alliance and remediation letter

Human Rights Law Centre associate legal director Freya Dinshaw, who sits on a board advising the government about such disputes, said the mechanism worked well when companies were willing to negotiate with complainants.

“It’s not a court, so ultimately they’re not binding, and that’s why Australia also needs to ensure that there are binding mechanisms to ensure that our companies do the right thing no matter where in the world they operate,” she said.

Ms Dinshaw said current Australian laws only require companies to report on the risks of modern slavery in their supply chain.Freya Dinshaw says Australian-based companies should be legally bound to avoid modern slavery no matter where they operate.

“Australian companies should have a duty to prevent modern slavery so that they’re legally required to investigate and address forced labour in their supply chains and face hard consequences where they don’t,” she said.

She said the importation of slave-made goods should also be banned.

The Albanese government committed to toughening Australian laws late last year but has not yet introduced legislation.Original remediation settlement

“They haven’t as yet committed to significantly strengthen the act by requiring companies to take action to address risks and as long as the act’s requirements are met by a tick box approach to addressing modern slavery, there are going to be companies that turn a blind eye to worker exploitation, even though they technically comply with the reporting requirements,” Ms Dinshaw said.

YTY/Mediceram statement 9th Sept 2025: Former Supplier Update

Tuesday, September 9, 2025

YTY is providing this update to highlight recent developments relating to earlier allegations of certain systemic forced labor conditions (the “Allegations”) in the manufacturing operations of MediCeram Sdn. Bhd. (“MediCeram,” or the “Company”), a Malaysian supplier of ceramic formers.  This update builds on our prior statement on this matter dated March 28, 2025, which is around the time we were first alerted to the Allegations.

Our relationship with MediCeram has been limited, with first commercial orders in December 2024.  Last year, MediCeram comprised less than 0.5% of our total supplier spend, making them a very small part of our supply chain.  After being alerted to the Allegations in March 2025, YTY suspended placing additional orders until such time as we completed our internal review and investigation.

Despite the limited relationship with MediCeram in both length and scale, upon learning of the Allegations YTY immediately engaged with the Company to review and investigate the claims.  In addition to working closely with MediCeram, YTY devoted significant time and effort to regularly engage with the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) and the Responsible Glove Alliance (RGA), the latter being the arm set up by RBA to focus on forced labor matters within our industry, YTY customers, and other key stakeholders to verify the Allegations and evaluate the Company’s efforts to remediate the identified areas of concern.

As part of our commitment to remain responsibly engaged with supply partners as they work through such situations, YTY continued to honor and take delivery of existing orders that had been placed prior to us becoming aware of the Allegations, even though these deliveries have remained quarantined and unutilized at our facilities until such time as we complete our internal review and investigation.  YTY also accelerated payments against any pending invoices to provide cashflow relief to MediCeram in furtherance of its ongoing remediation efforts.

Based on our sustained engagement with MediCeram in the preceding period, and the monitoring of actions undertaken by them across multiple months, we believe the Company has taken serious and credible steps to remediate the identified areas of concern and that, to the best of our knowledge at the time this statement is being issued, the Allegations have been sufficiently addressed.  We have come to this conclusion based on our onsite audits, extensive review of supporting documentation, and independent and unsupervised interviews with affected employees.

In certain limited instances, the timeline to remediate a specific allegation is still underway and has yet to conclude.  In all such instances, the Company has made good on its commitments till date under these respective timelines, and there is therefore a well-founded expectation that it will honor the remainder of these commitments as intended until they are concluded in the near-term.

The corrective actions undertaken by MediCeram have been independently verified by RGA based on a recent third-party forced labor audit it conducted specifically in reference to the Allegations, which has been shared with us with consent. Additionally, certain customers of ours, who have also independently evaluated the measures taken by MediCeram to address the Allegations, concur with our conclusions. 

Given our determination, and based on our supplier risk assessment framework, we are now able to commercially reengage with MediCeram.  We therefore expect to resume placing orders shortly with MediCeram, and will seek to provide advance payment and other forms of financial assistance to reasonably support the Company from a commercial standpoint.

YTY remains actively involved in supplier evaluations and compliance assessments around forced labor matters.  Our efforts center around training, risk assessments, and on-site audits to ensure those that we procure from are committed to sound employment practices and appropriate levels of employee welfare.

We will continue to hold our suppliers accountable to the elevated standards of professional conduct we expect from them, which are clearly documented and communicated.  Through our ongoing actions, commitment to, and efforts with, our supply chain partners, YTY looks forward to remaining an agent of positive change for our industry in the area of forced labor.

2nd July 2025 FMT: Workers at glove mould producer Mediceram back at work after successful talks

FMT Reporters

This follows an updated agreement concerning workplace issues raised by Mediceram’s 190-odd Bangladeshi workers.

Mediceram Sdn Bhd agreed to pay each worker RM22,500 over an eight-month period for the recruitment costs they incurred. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

Foreign workers at glove mould manufacturer Mediceram Sdn Bhd have returned to work following successful negotiations between the company and representatives of the employees.

Mediceram chairman Arumugam Suppiah and activist Andy Hall said this followed an updated settlement agreement concerning workplace issues raised by more than 190 of the Bangladeshi workers.

In a joint statement today, they said Mediceram had pledged to urgently address the concerns raised, including the renewal of the workers’ visas, and expediting paying back the recruitment costs they incurred.

“As an expression of the company’s enhanced commitment to more effective workplace social dialogue to prevent future disputes, Mediceram has set up an independent hotline to receive workers’ concerns, to complement the democratically elected workplace worker committee.

“Mediceram and Hall once again agreed to more effective engagement together to ensure there is proper implementation by both parties of the updated agreement between the workers and the management,” they said.

On March 6 and 18, the Bangladeshi workers staged two rounds of strikes to protest against contributions paid to agents in Bangladesh and unresolved passport and visa issues.Mediceram workers previously settled their dispute with management in May 2025 

FMT 25th May 2025: Malaysian mould manufacturer Mediceram sets up task force to resolve worker grievances following Bangladeshi migrant workers successful strike to address alleged forced labour conditions

Glove mould manufacturer Mediceram Sdn Bhd has agreed to set up an internal task force linked to a committee comprising employees to resolve future grievances. The move follows weeks of tension with its Bangladeshi workforce over alleged working conditions and the recruitment fees the workers had paid in Bangladesh before coming to Malaysia, said Arumugam Suppiah, the company’s chairman.

Sourced from: FMT by Minderjeet Kaur – 25th May 2024

Mediceram Sdn Bhd says they have reached an amicable solution with their Bangladeshi workers, who recently went on strike.

Arumugam also said the company and its Bangladeshi workers reached an amicable resolution to issues related to a recent dispute today.

“Both parties have now committed to moving forward constructively together in the best interests of all stakeholders and to ensure the profitability and economic well-being of our business,” he said in a statement.

He said both sides agreed that any future complaints from workers concerning their working and living conditions would be addressed through the in-house task force, instead of raising them on social media or the press, “to ensure constructive dialogue and timely resolution”.

Arumugam said the workers had been demanding refunds for recruitment fees they paid to Bangladeshi agents before their arrival in Malaysia.

Although Mediceram initially agreed to reimburse them, its proposal to stagger the payments over a 12-month period led to renewed protests.

About 180 Bangladeshi workers staged two rounds of strikes, on March 6 and 18, in protest against contributions paid to agents in Bangladesh and unresolved passport and visa issues.

Arumugam said the company has since agreed to pay each of the workers RM22,500, over an eight-month period, although it is not obligatory under Malaysian laws.

He also thanked migrant rights activist Andy Hall for facilitating the dialogue between the company and its Bangladeshi workers under challenging circumstances, and for Hall’s commitment to finding a fair and mutually acceptable resolution to the problem.

“While some harsh statements were indeed exchanged in the past week, and the company observed what we believe were inappropriate actions by certain individuals throughout this dispute, we humbly accept our own shortcomings in managing this situation effectively at the outset with our own workers,” he said.

Arumugam, however, disputed earlier reports by FMT that the strike by the foreign labourers was linked to unpaid wages.

The Daily Star emailed Mediceram seeking comments on the allegations, but was yet to receive a reply as of last night.

“It was due to the fees paid to recruitment agents in Bangladesh,” he said.Mediceram workers updated demands 22nd May 2025

FMT 19th May 2025: Malaysia’s Mediceram Glove Factory (supplying brands and buyers like Ansell, YTY, Top Glove) threatened to deport 60 Bangladeshi migrants amid strike, says activist

Carolyn K

Labour rights activist Andy Hall says the strike entered its third day on Sunday, with 176 workers signing a petition to their employer.

PETALING JAYA:

Sourced from: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2025/05/19/factory-threatened-to-deport-60-migrants-amid-strike-says-activist/

A glove mould manufacturer has allegedly threatened to deport 60 Bangladeshi workers after they downed tools over unpaid wages and other grievances, according to migrant rights activist Andy Hall.

He said the strike entered its third day yesterday, with 176 workers said to be participating by staying home instead of turning up for workMediceram workers updated demands on 20th May 2025 during 4th day of strike

“The factory is not officially shut, but there is no production going on,” Hall said.Mediceram situation photos

He said the workers at the factory, which supplies glove moulds to local and global glove makers, first went on strike from March 6 to 18 over arrears of salaries and overtime unpaid for months.Mediceram workers on 4th day of strike on 20th May 2025

The company paid up after intervention by his team, Hall said, and returned the passports of about 80 workers.

The workers returned to work on March 19, but tensions escalated again when the workers demanded refunds of RM22,500 each in fees and related costs incurred before arriving in Malaysia.

Hall said the company agreed to refund the costs but only over a 12-month period, which led to a new strike on Friday. The workers demanded that future wages be paid on time, all passports be renewed, and visas extended without further delay.Mediceram worker protest on 16th May 2025 at their hostel

He alleged that the company’s managing director had threatened to deport “not just one person” but 60, saying if they stopped work, they would all be sent back because there was no more work.

Hall said a Bangladeshi official had visited the company on Thursday and met with the workers; he had also met human resources minister Steven Sim in Putrajaya on Thursday together with another senior Bangladeshi official.Mediceram workers protest on 20th May 2025 at their hosye

FMT has sought comment from the labour department as well as the company.
worker protest slogansWorkers negotiate with management May 2025

Daily Star 18th May 2025 – Bangladeshi Migrant Worker at Mediceram Sdn Bhd Glove Company in Malaysia (supplying Ansell, YTY, Top Glove and other local and global gloves brands) faces deportation after speaking up on modern slavery and forced labour allegations

Bangladeshi migrant workers protest at Mediceram Sdn Bhd during a three day strike from 16-18 May 2025

Porimol Palma

Sun May 18, 2025

Sourced from: https://www.thedailystar.net/nrb/migration/news/migrants-malaysia-worker-faces-deportation-after-speaking-3897136

A Malaysian company has revoked the work permit of a Bangladeshi migrant and threatened to do the same to 60 others on Thursday, a day after the workers talked to Expatriates’ Welfare Adviser Prof Asif Nazrul about poor working conditions, several workers have said.Bangladeshi migrant workers protest at Mediceram Sdn Bhd during a three day strike from 16-18 May 2025

The management of Negeri Sembilan-based Mediceram, which manufactures rubber gloves, called the worker named Nahid Ibrahim and told him that his work permit would be revoked and he would be deported, they said.

During his four-day visit to Malaysia from May 13-16, the adviser met the Mediceram workers and held meetings with three Malaysian ministers to discuss how the Southeast Asian country can reopen its labour market for Bangladeshis and address the problems facing the workers.Bangladeshi migrant workers protest at Mediceram Sdn Bhd during a three day strike from 16-18 May 2025

Amid reports of irregularities in overseas recruitment, Malaysia suspended hiring Bangladesh workers in May last year.Ansell is a key buyer from Mediceram

Requesting anonymity, a worker of the gloves factory said, “We were shocked when we heard that Nahid would be deported and protested. Then, the management said it has a list of 60 of us who would be deported.”

Nearly 200 workers then began a strike on Friday, he said, requesting not to be named for fear of backlash.Bangladeshi migrant workers protest at Mediceram Sdn Bhd during a three day strike from 16-18 May 2025

In an email to Prof Asif’s Private Secretary Sarwoer Alam, Nahid wrote, “The company followed me and heard what I said about labour issues with our adviser. All of a sudden, they called me to the office and said I would be deported.”

The email was also sent to the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur.Nahid’s email pleading for support to Bangaldeshi officials in KL and Dhaka

Nahid went to Malaysia under a three-year contract and his visa expires in August this year. He spent more than Tk 5 lakh to reach the country and is still in debt because the company had not paid him regularly, according to the email.

“Please discuss with the company and stand by me and my family,” Nahid wrote.Workers protest at Mediceram Sdn Bhd during 16-17 May 2025

Nahid told The Daily Star yesterday that neither the adviser’s PS nor the High Commission responded to the email.

According to a letter submitted to Prof Asif on May 14, the Bangladeshis workers gave between Tk 500,000 and Tk 600,000 to a recruiting agency named Greenland for jobs in Malaysia.Workers complaint letter submitted to Asif Nazrul on 14th May 2025 at Mediceram

“Before our flights, they forced us to say on camera that we paid only Tk 78,000,” reads the letter.

However, wages have been irregular for the last two years. In some months, the company pays only half or one-third of the salary, it said.

“Our families are now in deep financial crises. Our debts have doubled. In some months, we had to borrow more money from Bangladesh just to afford food here,” it said.Bangladeshi migrant workers protest at Mediceram Sdn Bhd during a three day strike from 16-18 May 2025

Under such circumstances, they filed a complaint to the Labour Court late last year and then to the Bangladesh High Commission, but got no remedy.

They then contacted a migrant rights activist Andy Hall, who raised the issue with Mediceram and then got the labour issues audited by a third party.

At one point of time, Mediceram agreed to pay wages regularly and repay Malaysian Ringgit (RM) 22,500, which was spent as recruitment fees. It also paid RM 1,000 as an advance, assuring that another RM 875 would be paid on May 31, and the remaining amount would be paid in 12 months.Mediceram workers all sign letter with three demands to Mediceram buyers and the RBA/RGA in early May 2025

“But this payment plan is extremely difficult for us and poses a major challenge for our families,” they said in the letter.

They have also requested the company to pay the full recruitment fee in a single installment.Worker conditions at Mediceram Sdn Bhd glove mold factory during the strike and shut down, which is now entering day three 

Earlier, Mediceram had deported 35 workers to Bangladesh without any notice. Currently, the work permits of 170 have not been renewed. Some have been without a visa for a year, others for two years. A few months ago, four workers were arrested as they had no valid visas, but the company has not taken any responsibility, the letter says.

“We urge that our visas be renewed within next month and earnestly request you to resolve all these issues,” the letter said.

Prof Asif met these migrants on the Mediceram company premises, advised them to solve any problem through discussion and not do anything that can be harmful for them or the company.Bangaldeshi government visited Mediceram on 14th May 2025

He also provided the email and phone number so that the migrants could directly contact him.

Adviser Asif and his PS Sarower could not be reached over phone for comments yesterday.

Advisor Asif Nazrul with Mediceram workers on 14th May 2025 at Mediceram

—

FMT 15th May 2025: Bangladeshi foreign workers in alleged situation of forced labour threaten to go on strike again at mould-making plant Mediceram

Sean Augustin

Activist Andy Hall says the Bangladeshis are unhappy that one of their colleagues’ working visa has been cancelled.

PETALING JAYA:

Sourced from: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2025/05/15/foreign-workers-threaten-to-go-on-strike-again-at-mould-making-plant

Bangladeshi workers employed by a ceramic former and specialist gloves mould manufacturer have threatened to go on strike for a second time tomorrow after one of their colleagues allegedly had his work visa cancelled.

Migrant worker rights activist Andy Hall said the workers at the factory alleged that the worker had been singled out today by the company for being a ringleader in highlighting non-payment of wages and other grievances in the past.Mediceram workers protest slogans 

—

Daily Star 15th May 2025: Migration – ‘Contact me if you face any trouble’ – Asif Nazrul tells Mediceram migrant workers in Malaysia

—

In March, FMT reported that some 190 Bangladeshi workers at the factory, based in a southern state, had gone without pay for three months or payment for overtime work for five months.

Hall had also said then that the workers were in debt bondage after paying exorbitant recruitment fees and costs in the hope of finding jobs in Malaysia.Mediceram agreed to a 12 months reimbursement of 22,500RM recruitment fees but workers want the repayment paid in one go

The group also claimed that they had been inconsistently paid since 2023 and alleged that they were being put up in poor living conditions and not allowed to keep their passports while their work visas had also expired.

Contacted today, Hall said he was puzzled as to why the company would cancel the visa of the worker, with the man’s colleagues claiming it was unjust.

Hall said he was also at a loss over the company’s action when it had agreed to several demands by the foreign labourers in recent months to get them to return to work after a prolonged strike.

“Apart from agreeing to pay the back wages, the company provided an improved hostel, and the workers were happy with the living conditions.

“It seemed that some issues had been resolved amicably, so this decision to cancel an alleged whistleblower’s visa came as a surprise to me,” he said.

He hoped that the company would take the allegation of whistleblower intimidation seriously and investigate the claims.

He also defended the whistleblower, saying he played an important role in highlighting the alleged abuses and did so out of desperation.

He said the employee was not trying to be a “trouble maker”.

Following a third party audit at the factory as a result of the complaints by Hall and the workers in late April, the company offered all of the workers RM22,500 each over 12 months as repayment for their recruitment fees and costs paid to secure work at the company.

The workers’ back wages were also promptly cleared.

In a message to Hall, a representative of the company denied claims that they had cancelled the worker’s visa, saying it was a clerical error, and labelled such allegations as “misinformation”.

“There is no retaliation (towards the worker),” the representative said.

FMT has sought comments from the company and is withholding its identity pending a response.

—

Daily Star 15th May 2025: Migration – ‘Contact me if you face any trouble’ – Asif Nazrul tells Mediceram migrant workers in Malaysia

—

FMT 28th Mar 2025: Glove maker YTY says Malaysian ceramic mould supplier Mediceram may be involved in forced labour practices

PETALING JAYA: Rubber glove maker YTY Group today said one of its Malaysia-based ceramic mould suppliers may be involved in “systemic” forced labour practices. In a statement on its company website, the group said a preliminary engagement with the said supplier, whose identity is being withheld, after recent allegations came to light, “suggests there have been instances of forced labour lapses”.

Original Source: FMT Reporters – 28 March 2025 

YTY Group says it will engage with the company to determine why these lapses occurred, and when and how it will remedy them.

Such incidents occurred despite documentation provided that indicated compliance by the said supplier, the company said.

“While we are disappointed to learn of this, our focus at this time is to constructively engage with the company to determine why these lapses occurred, and what the timeline and path to remediation will be,” it said.

YTY Group said its preferred approach when dealing with such allegations was to engage with the supplier in question as they seek to regain compliance, rather than reactively cancelling current or future purchase contracts.

It said such a measure ensured ongoing employment and continued compensation for the affected employees.

“By the same token, if we do not see positive intent, and dedicated effort on the part of the supplier to address forced labour concerns in a reasonable timeframe, we will not hesitate to conclude our relationship with them,” it said.

Earlier this month, FMT reported migrant worker rights activist Andy Hall as claiming that close to 200 Bangladeshi workers employed by the same ceramic former and specialist gloves mould manufacturer had gone without pay for three months.

Hall had claimed that payment for overtime work for the past five months was outstanding, and the workers were not allowed to keep their passports and were being put up in poor living conditions.

He also said the workers, based in a southern state, claimed that they had been inconsistently paid since 2023 and were in severe debt after paying exorbitant recruitment related costs in the hope of finding jobs in Malaysia in 2017, 2018 and 2023.

About 130 workers from the group were reported to have filed a formal complaint against the company at a labour department in early March, which remains outstanding.

Contacted today, Hall said that while the workers have reported improvements in their working conditions since their complaints came to light, they remained in considerable debt bondage while still living in poor housing conditions.

He also said the majority of the workers had still not got back their passports.

“Debt bondage and confiscation of personal documents are both serious ILO indicators of forced labour or modern slavery,” he said.

“This supplier must, therefore, urgently reimburse the workers their recruitment fees and costs, estimated to be about RM17,000 per person, to take them out of debt, and also return their passports.”

Hall said if the supplier was not in a healthy financial situation, it should request support from its well-known Malaysian and international customers to complete the reimbursement process without further delay.

28th Mar 2025: YTY Gloves Group Statement on Mediceram (Malaysian Ceramics Glove Former Supplier) Forced Labour Allegations 

Original Source: HERE – Friday, March 28, 2025

YTY has recently been made aware of allegations of certain instances of systemic forced labor at a supplier of ours, Mediceram Sdn. Bhd. (“Mediceram”), who is a manufacturer of ceramic formers, the type used in the production of single-use gloves.

YTY adopts a strict policy of ensuring that the suppliers we engage with are committed to sound employment practices. These practices include enhancing corporate governance standards, improving workplace safety, implementing a sustainability roadmap, and adopting best-in-class labor practices that include treating employees with fairness, dignity, and respect.

Our relationship with Mediceram is a recently formed one, evidenced by our first commercial orders delivering in December 2024. In 2024, Mediceram comprised less than 0.5% of our total supplier spend, making them a very small part of our supply chain.

Irrespective of the size of the relationship, every supplier is required to conform to YTY’s Supplier Code of Conduct, which highlights in detail elevated standards of professional conduct that are aligned with those set by leading agencies in this space, such as the International Labor Organization (ILO), the United Nations (UN), Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP), and SEDEX, to name but a few. These standards include, identify, and extensively focus on forced labor risks.

Prior to our commercial engagement, Mediceram reviewed and voluntarily, but unequivocally, confirmed compliance with YTY’s Supplier Code of Conduct.

As an additional precautionary measure, prior to our commercial engagement, YTY conducted a risk assessment survey, whereby specific corporate policies, practices, and protocols were reviewed to determine Mediceram’s compliance with forced labor standards, and their general conformance to the high standards of professional conduct we expect of suppliers joining our network.

Based on the documentation provided by Mediceram at that time, they were deemed to be in compliance.

In short, a number of credible steps were taken by YTY prior to establishing a commercial relationship to conduct reasonable due diligence and gain comfort with the fact that Mediceram was in compliance with forced labor regulations, and operated with acceptable employment practices.

Furthermore, an additional, and more in-depth, assessment in the form of an on-site audit was planned for later this year as the size and scale of the relationship was expected to grow.

Our preliminary engagement with Mediceram after being made aware of the recent allegations suggests there have been instances of forced labor lapses, despite documentation provided to us at that time which indicated compliance. While we are disappointed to learn of this, our focus at this time is to constructively engage with Mediceram to determine why these lapses occurred, and what the timeline and path to remediation will be.

YTY remains committed to ensuring we maintain long-term supply relations with partners who are fully able to meet the high professional standards we set for them, which are in line with those we set for ourselves. At the same time, in situations like this, our preferred approach remains to engage with the supplier in question as they seek to regain compliance, rather than reactively cancelling current or future purchase contracts. This ensures ongoing employment and continued compensation for the affected employees.

By the same token, if we do not see positive intent, and dedicated effort, on the part of the supplier to address forced labor concerns in a reasonable timeframe, we will not hesitate to conclude our relationship with them.

FMT 8th Mar 2025: Workers at glove mould-making plant in Malaysia, supplying leading domestic and international gloves companies, not paid for 3 months, claims activist (another alleged Malaysian modern slavery related case)

FMT 8th Mar 2025: Workers at glove mould-making plant in Malaysia, supplying leading domestic and international gloves companies, not paid for 3 months, claims activist (another alleged Malaysian modern slavery related case)

Alysha Edward

08 Mar 2025

Andy Hall says about 190 Bangladeshis have been left in debt and struggling to pay off their recruitment fees.The workers are employed by a ceramic former and specialist gloves mould manufacturer (Bernama pic)

Sourced from: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2025/03/08/workers-at-mould-making-plant-not-paid-for-3-months-claims-activist/

PETALING JAYA: Close to 200 Bangladeshi workers employed by a ceramic former and specialist gloves mould manufacturer have gone without pay for three months, a migrant worker rights activist has claimed.

Andy Hall said based on information gathered by a team member helping the workers claim their rights, some 190 of them have not received their basic pay for three months or payment for overtime work for the past five months (nb. length of overtime non payment remains in dispute).

The workers are also in debt after paying exorbitant recruitment fees in the hope of finding jobs in Malaysia, he said.

Hall said the group, based in a southern state, also claimed that they have been inconsistently paid since 2023.Management memo issued on 5th March 2025, but company has now said back wages will be settled by end of March 2025

They also alleged that they are being put up in poor living conditions and are not allowed to keep their passports.

FMT is withholding the name of the company pending its response.Workers demands as submitted to JTK Negeri Sembilan on 6th Mar 2025. The workers have stated they will not return to work until their back wages are fully paid 

“This inconsistent payment of wages has forced the workers to take loans from banks or borrow money from relatives to pay off their recruitment fees, which are about RM25,000.Mediceram original response to workers demand on 18th March 2025

“Now, they are struggling to settle these bank loans, and the interest is increasing,” Hall said.

However, he said local and international buyers of the company’s moulds that he has engaged with in the past few days have helped to address the situation, and the company has agreed to settle the outstanding salaries by the end of this month.Company memo of 7th Mar 2025 outlining the return process for 88 affected workers’ passports 

About 50 workers from the group were reported to have filed a complaint against the company at the labour department yesterday.

Hall said companies supplying moulds to leading local and international glove manufacturers should be investigated if they are employing forced labour.

“Each major glove company uses millions of moulds every year, so there is a need to ask for evidence of the conditions under which these moulds are made,” he said.

Past Related Malaysian Gloves and Modern Slavery Related Stories 

26th Sept 2024: Former Malaysian gloves plant workers sue Kimberly-Clark. They allege abuse at company’s supplier Brightway

20th Sep 2023: CBP modifies withhold release order against Supermax Corporation Bhd. and its subsidiaries

26th Feb 2023: Malaysian glovemakers must show ‘no forced labour’ to sell to UK’s National Health Service.

August 18 2022: Migrant workers at Malaysian glove maker Brightway Holdings file US lawsuit against Kimberly-Clark Corp & Ansell, accusing them of “knowingly profiting” from alleged use of forced labour

August 12 2022: Full case submission now available online for the former Brightway Gloves (Malaysia) Bangladeshi workers US court case claims related to forced labour against Ansell and Kimberly Clark Corporation (KCC)

10th August 2022 Reuters: Ex-workers at Malaysian supplier sue Kimberly-Clark, Ansell over alleged labour abuse

10th August 2022: Ansell and Kimberly-Clark Sued in US Federal Court by Trafficking and Forced Labor Victims from Malaysian Glove Company

16th June 2022: My comment on Norway wealth fund putting Malaysia’s Supermax Corp under observation.

The Diplomat, April 4, 2022 – After Pressure, Growing Transparency in Malaysia’s Glove Industry

8th Feb 2022: Malaysia’s scandal-hit Supermax pays $6 million in compensation to migrant workers.

28th Dec 2021 Reuters: Ansell halts orders from Malaysian glove maker Brightway after US ban 

The Sydney Morning Herald, December 21, 2021 – Gloves off: Ansell under fire over “modern slavery” at Malaysian supplier 

20th Dec 2021 Reuters: U.S. Customs bans fifth Malaysian glove maker Brightway over alleged forced labour

14th September 2021 – The Diplomat: Debt Bondage Payouts Flow to Workers in Malaysia’s Glove Industry 

Reuters, September 10, 2021 – U.S. lifts import ban on Malaysia’s Top Glove over forced labour concerns

VOA, July 7, 2021 – Forced Labor Rising in Malaysia’s Rubber Glove Factories, Study Shows

Reuters, May 29, 2021: U.S. probes two Malaysian glove makers over forced labour allegations – report Reuters

20th May 2021 Reuters Insight: ‘Slavery’ found at a Malaysian glove factory. Why didn’t the auditor see it?

The Guardian, March 30, 2021 – US bars rubber gloves from Malaysian from due to ‘evidence of forced labour’

CNN, March 30, 2021 – US will seize all Top Glove imports after finding ‘sufficient evidence’ of forced labour

Reuters, March 30, 2021 – U.S. Customs says forced labour used at Malaysia’s Top Glove, to seize gloves

28th Dec 2020 Malay Mail: Human Resources Ministry – Brightway Holdings, two subsidiaries to face 30 charges over workers accommodation

21st Dec 2020: Malaysia: Hundreds of migrant workers subject to “squalid” onsite living conditions at glove manufacturers owned by Brightway Holdings; Incl. buyer responses

VOA, November 19, 2020 – After US Sanctions, Malaysia Migrant Workers Get Millions in Restitution from Glove Makers

CNN, September 11, 2020 – The world’s top suppliers of disposable gloves are thriving because of the pandemic. Their workers aren’t

VOA, July 17, 2020 – US Bars Imports from Top Rubber Glove Maker Amid COVID Surge

Newsroom, July 28, 2020 – Are your disposable gloves made using forced labour?

Reuters, July 16, 2020 – Amid virus crisis, U.S. bars imports of Malaysia’s Top Glove over labour issues

Associated Press (AP), March 4, 2020 – Key medical glove factories cutting staff 50% amid virus

VOA, October 11, 2019 – US Ban on Malaysian Glove Maker Highlights ‘Systemic’ Labor Abuse

—

Why Human Rights Matter to Business?

Risky Business with Darian McBain: Asia

15th January 2024

Why Human Rights Matter to Business with Darian McBain – Interview with Andy Hall – Migrant Worker Rights Specialist

Asian business is changing. Customer demands, government regulations, stakeholder expectations, they are all evolving under the pressure of the environmental crisis. And even the most robust business models are starting to show cracks. But it’s through those cracks that opportunities arrive.

Do you know how to navigate this new normal?

Andy Hall is a human rights defender, a researcher/investigator and activist, and an independent specialist on migrant worker rights.

In this episode of Risky Business, Andy talks about how he uncovered – and helped to tackle – the problem of labour rights abuses in Malaysia’s latex glove industry.

Click HERE to listen 

The post Daily Star 8th Nov 2025: 152 Bangladeshi workers at Mediceram in Malaysia (Ansell gloves global supply chain) protest forced repatriation, appoint legal counsel appeared first on Andy Hall.

Daily Star 6th Nov 2025: Dream turns into despair for 10 deported Bangladeshi migrants from Mediceram in Malaysia (Ansell/YTY gloves supply chain factory)

Bangladesh

Porimol Palma

Mediceram in Malaysia

Thu Nov 6, 2025

Sourced from: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/dream-turns-despair-10-deported-migrants-4028131

Like many others, Sufian Khan borrowed a large sum of money, hoping to go to Malaysia to change his fortune.

He spent over Tk 4.5 lakh to make the arrangements, dreaming of a better life for his family.

But his dream soon turned into despair when he, along with nine others, was deported by Malaysian authorities early yesterday.

“I still have a loan of over Tk 1 lakh,” he told The Daily Star from Barishal.

Sufian said they were forcibly taken to Kuala Lumpur International Airport by executives of Malaysian glove manufacturing company Mediceram, based in Selangor.

The company terminated all 180 Bangladeshi workers on October 31 after they protested the non-renewal of visas for more than 90 of them.

The company terminated all 180 Bangladeshi workers on October 31 after they protested the non-renewal of visas for more than 90 of them.

Following their termination, some of the workers went to the Bangladesh High Commission seeking help, but received none.

A Mediceram executive was present at the high commission and held a meeting for about two and a half hours, while the workers were kept waiting outside, said another deportee, Nironjan. “When we finally got to speak, the high commission officials told us they could do nothing about it,” he said.

The migrants also turned to the immigration and labour departments in Kuala Lumpur, but no one accepted their complaints, said Nironjan.

“On November 4, Mediceram executives dragged us onto a bus to the airport. We were literally crying,” said Sufian.

He said Mediceram had been irregular in paying wages since they joined in April 2023 through the recruiting agency Greenland Overseas.

“We were paid as little as 200 Malaysian ringgit a month,” he said, adding that the company also failed to renew their work visas on time.

After repeated demonstrations and complaints, Mediceram eventually paid the recruitment fees, but most of the migrants were left in uncertainty and faced the threat of police detention due to expired visas.

As a result, they went on a work abstention on October 27 but were soon terminated.

Another migrant, who is still staying at Mediceram’s hostel, told this correspondent that the remaining 170 Bangladeshi workers are living in fear, as company executives have also threatened them with deportation.

Back home, the deportees say they feel abused, defrauded, and deprived of justice and have no idea what to do next.

“I have my parents and wife at home. I still owe one lakh taka. I am totally undone,” said Sufian.

Contacted, Bangladesh’s Deputy High Commissioner in Malaysia, Shahanara Monica, said the mission has sent a report to Dhaka regarding the incident.

“Until we hear back from them, we cannot make any comment,” she said yesterday evening.

There are around 800,000 Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia, including 450,000 who migrated between 2022 and 2024 through a syndicate of 101 recruiting agencies.

Recruitment has remained suspended since May last year

Break the syndicates, not the dreams of Malaysia-bound workers

Save our migrants in Malaysia

Daily Star 5th Nov 2025: Malaysia’s Mediceram, in Ansell’s global gloves supply chain, forcibly and involuntarily sends back 10 Bangladeshis

Glove manufacturer earlier terminated 190 Bangladeshis for protesting exploitative practices 

Sourced from: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/malaysias-mediceram-sends-back-10-bangladeshis-4027116

Star Online Report

Wed Nov 5th 2025

Photo: Collected

The Malaysian glove company Mediceram, which terminated about 190 Bangladeshi workers on October 31, sent back at least 10 of them last night and is preparing to send more to Dhaka.

One of the deported workers, Nironjon, told The Daily Star from Kuala Lumpur International Airport that he was forced onto a flight by Mediceram executives at 11:00pm last night after he went to file a case against the cancellation of their visas and deportation.

“They said if we don’t take the flight, immigration will arrest and detain us as illegal aliens,” he said

Recruited in 2023, the workers faced non-payment, irregular wages, and non-renewal of visas. They organised eight to nine protests over the years, but each time the company’s promises to settle debts and meet demands were broken.

The situation escalated on September 30, when immigration officers raided the factory and detained about 90 workers for allegedly lacking valid visas. Although recruitment fees were reimbursed on October 27, the company has yet to return the workers’ passports or renew their visas.

Andy Hall, a migrant rights activist, said the workers had refused to leave voluntarily but were forced onto buses to the airport under extreme pressure and threats. He added that Mediceram could deport 24 more workers on November 5.

“Even the involvement of government agencies has failed to bring meaningful pressure or decisive action to resolve the workers’ claims,” he noted.

In a statement, the Migrant Workers’ Network condemned the deportations, saying, “The deportation of the migrants suggests that demanding rights has become a crime. We strongly condemn the repressive treatment by Mediceram and demand immediate reinstatement and security of the workers.”

Daily Star 4th Nov 2025: MEDICERAM IN MALAYSIA – 190 Bangladeshis in Ansell global gloves supply chain fired for protesting exploitation

Daily Star 4th Nov 2025: MEDICERAM IN MALAYSIA – 190 Bangladeshis in Ansell global gloves supply chain fired for protesting exploitation

Daily Star 4th Nov 2025: MEDICERAM IN MALAYSIA – 190 Bangladeshis in Ansell global gloves supply chain fired for protesting exploitation

Bangladesh

Sourced from: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/190-bangladeshis-fired-protesting-exploitation-4026331

MEDICERAM IN MALAYSIA

190 Bangladeshis fired for protesting exploitation

Mediceram workers yesterday in Negeri Sembilan at government offices, all of which alleged rejected their complaints

DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT

Tue Nov 4, 2025 12:00 AM Last update on: Tue Nov 4, 2025 08:15 AM 

A Malaysian gloves manufacturer has terminated 190 Bangladeshi workers for protesting against exploitative practices, including the non-renewal of their visas.

The migrant workers at the Kuala Lumpur-based company Mediceram told The Daily Star yesterday that the management handed termination letters to all Bangladeshi employees on October 31 and has begun cancelling their visas to deport them.Mediceram workers protesting at Negeri Sembilan government officials yesterday, with PSM team

“I heard visas of six Bangladeshis have already been cancelled and the company will do the same for others,” said one worker.

“We also went to the Malaysian labour court and immigration department with a legal counsellor, but we were told that we cannot file any complaint,” the worker said.

Summary of Complaints Filed by 18 Workers to Government Departments on 3rd Nov 2025.pdfDownload

Over the past two years, since 2023, Mediceram workers have gone on strike multiple times, demanding payment of unpaid wages and recruitment fees.

Even Expatriates’ Welfare Adviser Asif Nazrul had visited the workers in May and assured them their problems would be resolved.

We also went to the Malaysian labour court and immigration department with a legal counsellor, but we were told that we cannot file any complaint.

— A sacked worker

“We had unpaid salary and visa renewal issues for many months. Eventually, the company renewed visas for nearly 90 workers but not for the rest,” said another worker.

Around 90 others continued facing problems as their visas were not renewed despite the company’s promise. “So, we went on strike from October 23,” he added.

Malaysia-based migrant rights groups — Workers’ Solidarity Network, Socialis Alternative and Angkatan Kesatuan Siswa Sosialis — issued a joint statement condemning the company’s actions and demanding an end to the unlawful forced deportation.

They said the migrant workers were subjected to “slave-like conditions”, with confiscated passports, delayed salaries, unrenewed visas and frequent threats from employers.

The statement said Mediceram has faced similar allegations since 2017.

Between 2022 and 2024, around 4.5 lakh Bangladeshis were recruited in Malaysia but were charged Tk 4.5 lakh to Tk 6 lakh, leaving many in debt and unemployed.

The statement said Mediceram workers had organised eight or nine protests over the years, and each time the employer made promises to settle outstanding debts and meet the workers’ demands — promises that were repeatedly broken.

“Even the involvement of government agencies has failed to bring meaningful pressure or decisive action to resolve the workers’ claims,” it said.

The situation worsened on September 30 when immigration officers raided the factory and detained about 90 workers for allegedly not having valid visas.

“In reality, all of them were legal employees, but the company failed to renew their visas,” the statement added.

Although recruitment fees were reimbursed on October 27, the company has yet to return the workers’ passports or renew their visas.

—

Statement for Immediate Release 3rd Nov 2025: Around 190 Bangladeshi Migrant Workers at Mediceram Dismissed for Demanding Fair and Dignified Working Conditions

Public Statement by the Workers’ Solidarity Network, Sosialis Alternatif and AKSI (Angkatan Kesatuan Siswa Sosialis)

03/11/2025

Mediceram workers have gone on strike several times to demand payment of recruitment fees and unpaid wages. They work in slave-like conditions — passports confiscated, salaries delayed, visas not renewed, and frequent threats from their employers. Despite repeated protests, the employers have not kept their promises and the authorities have failed to take firm action.

Also available at https://www.instagram.com/p/DQlcmBEDyQx/?igsh=MWVncnBsbW9qcHZuZg== and https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1PJPKFTmmB/

PSM statement 3rd Nov 2025: 180 Migrant Workers laid off simply for demanding fair employment rights and safe environment (original Malay language180 Pekerja Migrin dipecat hanya kerana menuntut hak pekerjaan yang adil serta persekitaran yang selamat.)

Breaking News 31st Oct: Malaysia’s Mediceram, Supplier to Global Gloves Industry including Ansell, YTY and Top Glove, Allegedly Terminates All 180 Bangladeshi Foreign Workers, Alleged Victims of Forced Labour, and Moves to Force Repatriation to Bangladesh – 31 October 2025 | Selangor, Malaysia

—

On October 31, all were terminated and told to prepare for deportation, accused of being absent without reason.

“This is a blatant distortion of the truth,” the statement said, calling for immediate reinstatement of the workers, return of their passports and renewal of their visas.

“Mediceram must take full legal responsibility for its obligations,” it added.

Workers complaint to management Mediceram Oct25Download

Mediceram unfair dismissal workers statement 3rd Nov 2025Download

Workers dismissal letters Oct 2025

Mediceram workers on filing OECD complaint in Australia against Ansell in August 2025

ABC News: 11th Sept 2025: Australian glove-maker Ansell accused of exploiting workers at Malaysian factory of supplier, MediCeram

Ansell, a key global healthcare products buyer from Mediceram 

ABC News: 11th Sept 2025: Australian glove-maker Ansell accused of exploiting workers at Malaysian factory of supplier, MediCeram

Original Source: ABC News by Ben Butler– 11th September 202

In short:

A complaint lodged at the federal Treasury claims 220 Bangladeshi workers at a Malaysian factory where moulds for Ansell gloves are made have suffered serious human rights abuses. 

Ansell, headquartered in Melbourne, says it has looked into the allegations and identified breaches of international labour standards.

However, the Malaysian company’s chairman denies the allegations.

—

Australian glove-maker Ansell is being accused of using an overseas supplier that has allegedly exploited more than 200 factory workers — including through forced labour — in a complaint lodged with the federal government.

The Melbourne-based company confirmed to the ABC that it has investigated allegations involving workers at the Malaysian factory, among others, and “identified a number of issues that did not meet international labour standards”.

It is now the subject of a complaint lodged with the federal Treasury — where disputes over minimum labour standards at multinational companies are filed — by international labour activist Andy Hall.Original worker demandsOriginal worker demands 

According to the complaint, more than 220 Bangladeshi workers at MediCeram, which makes moulds for Ansell’s gloves, “have suffered serious abuses of fundamental worker and human rights”.Ansell is a Melbourne-based company that makes gloves as well as other personal protection equipment for the healthcare industry.  (ABC News: John Gunn)Workers OECD complaint against Ansell in Australia 

The alleged abuses include wage theft, forced labour and debt bondage, as well as the deportation of workers who complained about their treatment.

MediCeram vehemently denies any abuse of its workers.

In his complaint, Mr Hall said the workers paid fees of about $US5,200 each to recruiters in Bangladesh, leaving them in debt bondage.

Ansell Advances Labour Rights Across Its Supply Chain Press Release August 2025.pdf (recent statement)Download

Many took industrial action in March over allegations of several months of unpaid wages and overtime, according to the complaint.

Mr Hall also alleged that some workers had been deprived of their passports for periods of time and their work visas had not been renewed.

He alleged that about 33 workers who complained to management were sacked and deported.

“Ansell’s due diligence measures failed to prevent the forced labour and retribution by termination in this instance,” Mr Hall said in the complaint.

One Bangladeshi employee, speaking anonymously to the ABC over concerns about his employment, said six workers were housed in each room at MediCeram’s accommodation.

Chairman of Malaysian company denies allegations

Workers original demands March 2025 at Mediceram

Mr Hall filed the complaint with Treasury because it runs the Australian National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct (AusNCP) — the designated “national contact point” for dealing with such disputes under an arrangement set up by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

(270525) Ansell – Mediceram statement – for customers.pdfDownload

(20250624) Ansell – Mediceram Letter.pdfDownload

It is the second time labour activists have used the mechanism to allege breaches of workers’ rights at suppliers to Ansell.

In 2017, Treasury settled a dispute between the company and the union IndustriALL. In that matter, it was alleged that workers at Ansell factories in Sri Lanka and Malaysia were coerced into agreeing to unsafe working conditions and suffered significant health issues from workplace contamination. Ansell denied the allegations.Ansell has previously denied allegations of unsafe working conditions at its factories. (Facebook: Ansell)

MediCeram supplies moulds of hands that are dipped into latex or plastic to make gloves for Ansell. The Malaysian company’s chairman, Arumugam Suppiah, denied all of Mr Hall’s allegations.

“This is unfair, and intimidation by the so-called labour activist,” he told the ABC.

“Ansell is a respectable company and MediCeram has complied with all local rules.

“All the allegations can be refuted with supporting documents.”

He said Ansell continued to support MediCeram, but had not bought anything from the company for three months.On their corporate Facebook page, Ansell advertises the size of their glove business. (Facebook: Ansell)

An Ansell spokesperson said the company “pre-ordered, expedited payment for and took advance delivery of over one year’s worth of ceramic formers to support the supplier’s cash flow” so that MediCeram could fund repayments to workers and a remediation package.

The spokesperson confirmed Ansell investigated MediCeram and other ceramic-former suppliers earlier this year and “identified a number of issues that did not meet international labour standards or comply with our supplier code of conduct”.

“Ansell has deliberately chosen not to walk away from the suppliers, including the supplier that is the subject of the AusNCP complaint,” the spokesperson said.

“We continue to engage with them closely to encourage their mitigation and remediation of the issues identified.”

The spokesperson said they would deal with the complaints process “in good faith”.

Mr Hall said that while MediCeram had agreed to repay the recruitment fees in instalments, the eight months it had to pay was “too lengthy”.

“Many workers have been excluded from the remediation package unfairly and irrationally by MediCeram, including repatriated and departed workers,” he said in the complaint.

He also accused Ansell of irresponsibly disengaging from MediCeram, contrary to OECD guidelines that state multinationals should work to fix problems at their suppliers rather than walking away.

Firm’s duty to prevent modern slavery, legal expert says

Ansell Mediceram workers’ August 2025 complaint letter to RBA’s Responsible Glove Alliance and remediation letter

Human Rights Law Centre associate legal director Freya Dinshaw, who sits on a board advising the government about such disputes, said the mechanism worked well when companies were willing to negotiate with complainants.

“It’s not a court, so ultimately they’re not binding, and that’s why Australia also needs to ensure that there are binding mechanisms to ensure that our companies do the right thing no matter where in the world they operate,” she said.

Ms Dinshaw said current Australian laws only require companies to report on the risks of modern slavery in their supply chain.Freya Dinshaw says Australian-based companies should be legally bound to avoid modern slavery no matter where they operate.

“Australian companies should have a duty to prevent modern slavery so that they’re legally required to investigate and address forced labour in their supply chains and face hard consequences where they don’t,” she said.

She said the importation of slave-made goods should also be banned.

The Albanese government committed to toughening Australian laws late last year but has not yet introduced legislation.Original remediation settlement

“They haven’t as yet committed to significantly strengthen the act by requiring companies to take action to address risks and as long as the act’s requirements are met by a tick box approach to addressing modern slavery, there are going to be companies that turn a blind eye to worker exploitation, even though they technically comply with the reporting requirements,” Ms Dinshaw said.

YTY/Mediceram statement 9th Sept 2025: Former Supplier Update

Tuesday, September 9, 2025

YTY is providing this update to highlight recent developments relating to earlier allegations of certain systemic forced labor conditions (the “Allegations”) in the manufacturing operations of MediCeram Sdn. Bhd. (“MediCeram,” or the “Company”), a Malaysian supplier of ceramic formers.  This update builds on our prior statement on this matter dated March 28, 2025, which is around the time we were first alerted to the Allegations.

Our relationship with MediCeram has been limited, with first commercial orders in December 2024.  Last year, MediCeram comprised less than 0.5% of our total supplier spend, making them a very small part of our supply chain.  After being alerted to the Allegations in March 2025, YTY suspended placing additional orders until such time as we completed our internal review and investigation.

Despite the limited relationship with MediCeram in both length and scale, upon learning of the Allegations YTY immediately engaged with the Company to review and investigate the claims.  In addition to working closely with MediCeram, YTY devoted significant time and effort to regularly engage with the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) and the Responsible Glove Alliance (RGA), the latter being the arm set up by RBA to focus on forced labor matters within our industry, YTY customers, and other key stakeholders to verify the Allegations and evaluate the Company’s efforts to remediate the identified areas of concern.

As part of our commitment to remain responsibly engaged with supply partners as they work through such situations, YTY continued to honor and take delivery of existing orders that had been placed prior to us becoming aware of the Allegations, even though these deliveries have remained quarantined and unutilized at our facilities until such time as we complete our internal review and investigation.  YTY also accelerated payments against any pending invoices to provide cashflow relief to MediCeram in furtherance of its ongoing remediation efforts.

Based on our sustained engagement with MediCeram in the preceding period, and the monitoring of actions undertaken by them across multiple months, we believe the Company has taken serious and credible steps to remediate the identified areas of concern and that, to the best of our knowledge at the time this statement is being issued, the Allegations have been sufficiently addressed.  We have come to this conclusion based on our onsite audits, extensive review of supporting documentation, and independent and unsupervised interviews with affected employees.

In certain limited instances, the timeline to remediate a specific allegation is still underway and has yet to conclude.  In all such instances, the Company has made good on its commitments till date under these respective timelines, and there is therefore a well-founded expectation that it will honor the remainder of these commitments as intended until they are concluded in the near-term.

The corrective actions undertaken by MediCeram have been independently verified by RGA based on a recent third-party forced labor audit it conducted specifically in reference to the Allegations, which has been shared with us with consent. Additionally, certain customers of ours, who have also independently evaluated the measures taken by MediCeram to address the Allegations, concur with our conclusions. 

Given our determination, and based on our supplier risk assessment framework, we are now able to commercially reengage with MediCeram.  We therefore expect to resume placing orders shortly with MediCeram, and will seek to provide advance payment and other forms of financial assistance to reasonably support the Company from a commercial standpoint.

YTY remains actively involved in supplier evaluations and compliance assessments around forced labor matters.  Our efforts center around training, risk assessments, and on-site audits to ensure those that we procure from are committed to sound employment practices and appropriate levels of employee welfare.

We will continue to hold our suppliers accountable to the elevated standards of professional conduct we expect from them, which are clearly documented and communicated.  Through our ongoing actions, commitment to, and efforts with, our supply chain partners, YTY looks forward to remaining an agent of positive change for our industry in the area of forced labor.

2nd July 2025 FMT: Workers at glove mould producer Mediceram back at work after successful talks

FMT Reporters

This follows an updated agreement concerning workplace issues raised by Mediceram’s 190-odd Bangladeshi workers.

Mediceram Sdn Bhd agreed to pay each worker RM22,500 over an eight-month period for the recruitment costs they incurred. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

Foreign workers at glove mould manufacturer Mediceram Sdn Bhd have returned to work following successful negotiations between the company and representatives of the employees.

Mediceram chairman Arumugam Suppiah and activist Andy Hall said this followed an updated settlement agreement concerning workplace issues raised by more than 190 of the Bangladeshi workers.

In a joint statement today, they said Mediceram had pledged to urgently address the concerns raised, including the renewal of the workers’ visas, and expediting paying back the recruitment costs they incurred.

“As an expression of the company’s enhanced commitment to more effective workplace social dialogue to prevent future disputes, Mediceram has set up an independent hotline to receive workers’ concerns, to complement the democratically elected workplace worker committee.

“Mediceram and Hall once again agreed to more effective engagement together to ensure there is proper implementation by both parties of the updated agreement between the workers and the management,” they said.

On March 6 and 18, the Bangladeshi workers staged two rounds of strikes to protest against contributions paid to agents in Bangladesh and unresolved passport and visa issues.Mediceram workers previously settled their dispute with management in May 2025 

FMT 25th May 2025: Malaysian mould manufacturer Mediceram sets up task force to resolve worker grievances following Bangladeshi migrant workers successful strike to address alleged forced labour conditions

Glove mould manufacturer Mediceram Sdn Bhd has agreed to set up an internal task force linked to a committee comprising employees to resolve future grievances. The move follows weeks of tension with its Bangladeshi workforce over alleged working conditions and the recruitment fees the workers had paid in Bangladesh before coming to Malaysia, said Arumugam Suppiah, the company’s chairman.

Sourced from: FMT by Minderjeet Kaur – 25th May 2024

Mediceram Sdn Bhd says they have reached an amicable solution with their Bangladeshi workers, who recently went on strike.

Arumugam also said the company and its Bangladeshi workers reached an amicable resolution to issues related to a recent dispute today.

“Both parties have now committed to moving forward constructively together in the best interests of all stakeholders and to ensure the profitability and economic well-being of our business,” he said in a statement.

He said both sides agreed that any future complaints from workers concerning their working and living conditions would be addressed through the in-house task force, instead of raising them on social media or the press, “to ensure constructive dialogue and timely resolution”.

Arumugam said the workers had been demanding refunds for recruitment fees they paid to Bangladeshi agents before their arrival in Malaysia.

Although Mediceram initially agreed to reimburse them, its proposal to stagger the payments over a 12-month period led to renewed protests.

About 180 Bangladeshi workers staged two rounds of strikes, on March 6 and 18, in protest against contributions paid to agents in Bangladesh and unresolved passport and visa issues.

Arumugam said the company has since agreed to pay each of the workers RM22,500, over an eight-month period, although it is not obligatory under Malaysian laws.

He also thanked migrant rights activist Andy Hall for facilitating the dialogue between the company and its Bangladeshi workers under challenging circumstances, and for Hall’s commitment to finding a fair and mutually acceptable resolution to the problem.

“While some harsh statements were indeed exchanged in the past week, and the company observed what we believe were inappropriate actions by certain individuals throughout this dispute, we humbly accept our own shortcomings in managing this situation effectively at the outset with our own workers,” he said.

Arumugam, however, disputed earlier reports by FMT that the strike by the foreign labourers was linked to unpaid wages.

The Daily Star emailed Mediceram seeking comments on the allegations, but was yet to receive a reply as of last night.

“It was due to the fees paid to recruitment agents in Bangladesh,” he said.Mediceram workers updated demands 22nd May 2025

FMT 19th May 2025: Malaysia’s Mediceram Glove Factory (supplying brands and buyers like Ansell, YTY, Top Glove) threatened to deport 60 Bangladeshi migrants amid strike, says activist

Carolyn K

Labour rights activist Andy Hall says the strike entered its third day on Sunday, with 176 workers signing a petition to their employer.

PETALING JAYA:

Sourced from: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2025/05/19/factory-threatened-to-deport-60-migrants-amid-strike-says-activist/

A glove mould manufacturer has allegedly threatened to deport 60 Bangladeshi workers after they downed tools over unpaid wages and other grievances, according to migrant rights activist Andy Hall.

He said the strike entered its third day yesterday, with 176 workers said to be participating by staying home instead of turning up for workMediceram workers updated demands on 20th May 2025 during 4th day of strike

“The factory is not officially shut, but there is no production going on,” Hall said.Mediceram situation photos

He said the workers at the factory, which supplies glove moulds to local and global glove makers, first went on strike from March 6 to 18 over arrears of salaries and overtime unpaid for months.Mediceram workers on 4th day of strike on 20th May 2025

The company paid up after intervention by his team, Hall said, and returned the passports of about 80 workers.

The workers returned to work on March 19, but tensions escalated again when the workers demanded refunds of RM22,500 each in fees and related costs incurred before arriving in Malaysia.

Hall said the company agreed to refund the costs but only over a 12-month period, which led to a new strike on Friday. The workers demanded that future wages be paid on time, all passports be renewed, and visas extended without further delay.Mediceram worker protest on 16th May 2025 at their hostel

He alleged that the company’s managing director had threatened to deport “not just one person” but 60, saying if they stopped work, they would all be sent back because there was no more work.

Hall said a Bangladeshi official had visited the company on Thursday and met with the workers; he had also met human resources minister Steven Sim in Putrajaya on Thursday together with another senior Bangladeshi official.Mediceram workers protest on 20th May 2025 at their hosye

FMT has sought comment from the labour department as well as the company.
worker protest slogansWorkers negotiate with management May 2025

Daily Star 18th May 2025 – Bangladeshi Migrant Worker at Mediceram Sdn Bhd Glove Company in Malaysia (supplying Ansell, YTY, Top Glove and other local and global gloves brands) faces deportation after speaking up on modern slavery and forced labour allegations

Bangladeshi migrant workers protest at Mediceram Sdn Bhd during a three day strike from 16-18 May 2025

Porimol Palma

Sun May 18, 2025

Sourced from: https://www.thedailystar.net/nrb/migration/news/migrants-malaysia-worker-faces-deportation-after-speaking-3897136

A Malaysian company has revoked the work permit of a Bangladeshi migrant and threatened to do the same to 60 others on Thursday, a day after the workers talked to Expatriates’ Welfare Adviser Prof Asif Nazrul about poor working conditions, several workers have said.Bangladeshi migrant workers protest at Mediceram Sdn Bhd during a three day strike from 16-18 May 2025

The management of Negeri Sembilan-based Mediceram, which manufactures rubber gloves, called the worker named Nahid Ibrahim and told him that his work permit would be revoked and he would be deported, they said.

During his four-day visit to Malaysia from May 13-16, the adviser met the Mediceram workers and held meetings with three Malaysian ministers to discuss how the Southeast Asian country can reopen its labour market for Bangladeshis and address the problems facing the workers.Bangladeshi migrant workers protest at Mediceram Sdn Bhd during a three day strike from 16-18 May 2025

Amid reports of irregularities in overseas recruitment, Malaysia suspended hiring Bangladesh workers in May last year.Ansell is a key buyer from Mediceram

Requesting anonymity, a worker of the gloves factory said, “We were shocked when we heard that Nahid would be deported and protested. Then, the management said it has a list of 60 of us who would be deported.”

Nearly 200 workers then began a strike on Friday, he said, requesting not to be named for fear of backlash.Bangladeshi migrant workers protest at Mediceram Sdn Bhd during a three day strike from 16-18 May 2025

In an email to Prof Asif’s Private Secretary Sarwoer Alam, Nahid wrote, “The company followed me and heard what I said about labour issues with our adviser. All of a sudden, they called me to the office and said I would be deported.”

The email was also sent to the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur.Nahid’s email pleading for support to Bangaldeshi officials in KL and Dhaka

Nahid went to Malaysia under a three-year contract and his visa expires in August this year. He spent more than Tk 5 lakh to reach the country and is still in debt because the company had not paid him regularly, according to the email.

“Please discuss with the company and stand by me and my family,” Nahid wrote.Workers protest at Mediceram Sdn Bhd during 16-17 May 2025

Nahid told The Daily Star yesterday that neither the adviser’s PS nor the High Commission responded to the email.

According to a letter submitted to Prof Asif on May 14, the Bangladeshis workers gave between Tk 500,000 and Tk 600,000 to a recruiting agency named Greenland for jobs in Malaysia.Workers complaint letter submitted to Asif Nazrul on 14th May 2025 at Mediceram

“Before our flights, they forced us to say on camera that we paid only Tk 78,000,” reads the letter.

However, wages have been irregular for the last two years. In some months, the company pays only half or one-third of the salary, it said.

“Our families are now in deep financial crises. Our debts have doubled. In some months, we had to borrow more money from Bangladesh just to afford food here,” it said.Bangladeshi migrant workers protest at Mediceram Sdn Bhd during a three day strike from 16-18 May 2025

Under such circumstances, they filed a complaint to the Labour Court late last year and then to the Bangladesh High Commission, but got no remedy.

They then contacted a migrant rights activist Andy Hall, who raised the issue with Mediceram and then got the labour issues audited by a third party.

At one point of time, Mediceram agreed to pay wages regularly and repay Malaysian Ringgit (RM) 22,500, which was spent as recruitment fees. It also paid RM 1,000 as an advance, assuring that another RM 875 would be paid on May 31, and the remaining amount would be paid in 12 months.Mediceram workers all sign letter with three demands to Mediceram buyers and the RBA/RGA in early May 2025

“But this payment plan is extremely difficult for us and poses a major challenge for our families,” they said in the letter.

They have also requested the company to pay the full recruitment fee in a single installment.Worker conditions at Mediceram Sdn Bhd glove mold factory during the strike and shut down, which is now entering day three 

Earlier, Mediceram had deported 35 workers to Bangladesh without any notice. Currently, the work permits of 170 have not been renewed. Some have been without a visa for a year, others for two years. A few months ago, four workers were arrested as they had no valid visas, but the company has not taken any responsibility, the letter says.

“We urge that our visas be renewed within next month and earnestly request you to resolve all these issues,” the letter said.

Prof Asif met these migrants on the Mediceram company premises, advised them to solve any problem through discussion and not do anything that can be harmful for them or the company.Bangaldeshi government visited Mediceram on 14th May 2025

He also provided the email and phone number so that the migrants could directly contact him.

Adviser Asif and his PS Sarower could not be reached over phone for comments yesterday.

Advisor Asif Nazrul with Mediceram workers on 14th May 2025 at Mediceram

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FMT 15th May 2025: Bangladeshi foreign workers in alleged situation of forced labour threaten to go on strike again at mould-making plant Mediceram

Sean Augustin

Activist Andy Hall says the Bangladeshis are unhappy that one of their colleagues’ working visa has been cancelled.

PETALING JAYA:

Sourced from: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2025/05/15/foreign-workers-threaten-to-go-on-strike-again-at-mould-making-plant

Bangladeshi workers employed by a ceramic former and specialist gloves mould manufacturer have threatened to go on strike for a second time tomorrow after one of their colleagues allegedly had his work visa cancelled.

Migrant worker rights activist Andy Hall said the workers at the factory alleged that the worker had been singled out today by the company for being a ringleader in highlighting non-payment of wages and other grievances in the past.Mediceram workers protest slogans 

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Daily Star 15th May 2025: Migration – ‘Contact me if you face any trouble’ – Asif Nazrul tells Mediceram migrant workers in Malaysia

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In March, FMT reported that some 190 Bangladeshi workers at the factory, based in a southern state, had gone without pay for three months or payment for overtime work for five months.

Hall had also said then that the workers were in debt bondage after paying exorbitant recruitment fees and costs in the hope of finding jobs in Malaysia.Mediceram agreed to a 12 months reimbursement of 22,500RM recruitment fees but workers want the repayment paid in one go

The group also claimed that they had been inconsistently paid since 2023 and alleged that they were being put up in poor living conditions and not allowed to keep their passports while their work visas had also expired.

Contacted today, Hall said he was puzzled as to why the company would cancel the visa of the worker, with the man’s colleagues claiming it was unjust.

Hall said he was also at a loss over the company’s action when it had agreed to several demands by the foreign labourers in recent months to get them to return to work after a prolonged strike.

“Apart from agreeing to pay the back wages, the company provided an improved hostel, and the workers were happy with the living conditions.

“It seemed that some issues had been resolved amicably, so this decision to cancel an alleged whistleblower’s visa came as a surprise to me,” he said.

He hoped that the company would take the allegation of whistleblower intimidation seriously and investigate the claims.

He also defended the whistleblower, saying he played an important role in highlighting the alleged abuses and did so out of desperation.

He said the employee was not trying to be a “trouble maker”.

Following a third party audit at the factory as a result of the complaints by Hall and the workers in late April, the company offered all of the workers RM22,500 each over 12 months as repayment for their recruitment fees and costs paid to secure work at the company.

The workers’ back wages were also promptly cleared.

In a message to Hall, a representative of the company denied claims that they had cancelled the worker’s visa, saying it was a clerical error, and labelled such allegations as “misinformation”.

“There is no retaliation (towards the worker),” the representative said.

FMT has sought comments from the company and is withholding its identity pending a response.

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Daily Star 15th May 2025: Migration – ‘Contact me if you face any trouble’ – Asif Nazrul tells Mediceram migrant workers in Malaysia

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FMT 28th Mar 2025: Glove maker YTY says Malaysian ceramic mould supplier Mediceram may be involved in forced labour practices

PETALING JAYA: Rubber glove maker YTY Group today said one of its Malaysia-based ceramic mould suppliers may be involved in “systemic” forced labour practices. In a statement on its company website, the group said a preliminary engagement with the said supplier, whose identity is being withheld, after recent allegations came to light, “suggests there have been instances of forced labour lapses”.

Original Source: FMT Reporters – 28 March 2025 

YTY Group says it will engage with the company to determine why these lapses occurred, and when and how it will remedy them.

Such incidents occurred despite documentation provided that indicated compliance by the said supplier, the company said.

“While we are disappointed to learn of this, our focus at this time is to constructively engage with the company to determine why these lapses occurred, and what the timeline and path to remediation will be,” it said.

YTY Group said its preferred approach when dealing with such allegations was to engage with the supplier in question as they seek to regain compliance, rather than reactively cancelling current or future purchase contracts.

It said such a measure ensured ongoing employment and continued compensation for the affected employees.

“By the same token, if we do not see positive intent, and dedicated effort on the part of the supplier to address forced labour concerns in a reasonable timeframe, we will not hesitate to conclude our relationship with them,” it said.

Earlier this month, FMT reported migrant worker rights activist Andy Hall as claiming that close to 200 Bangladeshi workers employed by the same ceramic former and specialist gloves mould manufacturer had gone without pay for three months.

Hall had claimed that payment for overtime work for the past five months was outstanding, and the workers were not allowed to keep their passports and were being put up in poor living conditions.

He also said the workers, based in a southern state, claimed that they had been inconsistently paid since 2023 and were in severe debt after paying exorbitant recruitment related costs in the hope of finding jobs in Malaysia in 2017, 2018 and 2023.

About 130 workers from the group were reported to have filed a formal complaint against the company at a labour department in early March, which remains outstanding.

Contacted today, Hall said that while the workers have reported improvements in their working conditions since their complaints came to light, they remained in considerable debt bondage while still living in poor housing conditions.

He also said the majority of the workers had still not got back their passports.

“Debt bondage and confiscation of personal documents are both serious ILO indicators of forced labour or modern slavery,” he said.

“This supplier must, therefore, urgently reimburse the workers their recruitment fees and costs, estimated to be about RM17,000 per person, to take them out of debt, and also return their passports.”

Hall said if the supplier was not in a healthy financial situation, it should request support from its well-known Malaysian and international customers to complete the reimbursement process without further delay.

28th Mar 2025: YTY Gloves Group Statement on Mediceram (Malaysian Ceramics Glove Former Supplier) Forced Labour Allegations 

Original Source: HERE – Friday, March 28, 2025

YTY has recently been made aware of allegations of certain instances of systemic forced labor at a supplier of ours, Mediceram Sdn. Bhd. (“Mediceram”), who is a manufacturer of ceramic formers, the type used in the production of single-use gloves.

YTY adopts a strict policy of ensuring that the suppliers we engage with are committed to sound employment practices. These practices include enhancing corporate governance standards, improving workplace safety, implementing a sustainability roadmap, and adopting best-in-class labor practices that include treating employees with fairness, dignity, and respect.

Our relationship with Mediceram is a recently formed one, evidenced by our first commercial orders delivering in December 2024. In 2024, Mediceram comprised less than 0.5% of our total supplier spend, making them a very small part of our supply chain.

Irrespective of the size of the relationship, every supplier is required to conform to YTY’s Supplier Code of Conduct, which highlights in detail elevated standards of professional conduct that are aligned with those set by leading agencies in this space, such as the International Labor Organization (ILO), the United Nations (UN), Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP), and SEDEX, to name but a few. These standards include, identify, and extensively focus on forced labor risks.

Prior to our commercial engagement, Mediceram reviewed and voluntarily, but unequivocally, confirmed compliance with YTY’s Supplier Code of Conduct.

As an additional precautionary measure, prior to our commercial engagement, YTY conducted a risk assessment survey, whereby specific corporate policies, practices, and protocols were reviewed to determine Mediceram’s compliance with forced labor standards, and their general conformance to the high standards of professional conduct we expect of suppliers joining our network.

Based on the documentation provided by Mediceram at that time, they were deemed to be in compliance.

In short, a number of credible steps were taken by YTY prior to establishing a commercial relationship to conduct reasonable due diligence and gain comfort with the fact that Mediceram was in compliance with forced labor regulations, and operated with acceptable employment practices.

Furthermore, an additional, and more in-depth, assessment in the form of an on-site audit was planned for later this year as the size and scale of the relationship was expected to grow.

Our preliminary engagement with Mediceram after being made aware of the recent allegations suggests there have been instances of forced labor lapses, despite documentation provided to us at that time which indicated compliance. While we are disappointed to learn of this, our focus at this time is to constructively engage with Mediceram to determine why these lapses occurred, and what the timeline and path to remediation will be.

YTY remains committed to ensuring we maintain long-term supply relations with partners who are fully able to meet the high professional standards we set for them, which are in line with those we set for ourselves. At the same time, in situations like this, our preferred approach remains to engage with the supplier in question as they seek to regain compliance, rather than reactively cancelling current or future purchase contracts. This ensures ongoing employment and continued compensation for the affected employees.

By the same token, if we do not see positive intent, and dedicated effort, on the part of the supplier to address forced labor concerns in a reasonable timeframe, we will not hesitate to conclude our relationship with them.

FMT 8th Mar 2025: Workers at glove mould-making plant in Malaysia, supplying leading domestic and international gloves companies, not paid for 3 months, claims activist (another alleged Malaysian modern slavery related case)

FMT 8th Mar 2025: Workers at glove mould-making plant in Malaysia, supplying leading domestic and international gloves companies, not paid for 3 months, claims activist (another alleged Malaysian modern slavery related case)

Alysha Edward

08 Mar 2025

Andy Hall says about 190 Bangladeshis have been left in debt and struggling to pay off their recruitment fees.The workers are employed by a ceramic former and specialist gloves mould manufacturer (Bernama pic)

Sourced from: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2025/03/08/workers-at-mould-making-plant-not-paid-for-3-months-claims-activist/

PETALING JAYA: Close to 200 Bangladeshi workers employed by a ceramic former and specialist gloves mould manufacturer have gone without pay for three months, a migrant worker rights activist has claimed.

Andy Hall said based on information gathered by a team member helping the workers claim their rights, some 190 of them have not received their basic pay for three months or payment for overtime work for the past five months (nb. length of overtime non payment remains in dispute).

The workers are also in debt after paying exorbitant recruitment fees in the hope of finding jobs in Malaysia, he said.

Hall said the group, based in a southern state, also claimed that they have been inconsistently paid since 2023.Management memo issued on 5th March 2025, but company has now said back wages will be settled by end of March 2025

They also alleged that they are being put up in poor living conditions and are not allowed to keep their passports.

FMT is withholding the name of the company pending its response.Workers demands as submitted to JTK Negeri Sembilan on 6th Mar 2025. The workers have stated they will not return to work until their back wages are fully paid 

“This inconsistent payment of wages has forced the workers to take loans from banks or borrow money from relatives to pay off their recruitment fees, which are about RM25,000.Mediceram original response to workers demand on 18th March 2025

“Now, they are struggling to settle these bank loans, and the interest is increasing,” Hall said.

However, he said local and international buyers of the company’s moulds that he has engaged with in the past few days have helped to address the situation, and the company has agreed to settle the outstanding salaries by the end of this month.Company memo of 7th Mar 2025 outlining the return process for 88 affected workers’ passports 

About 50 workers from the group were reported to have filed a complaint against the company at the labour department yesterday.

Hall said companies supplying moulds to leading local and international glove manufacturers should be investigated if they are employing forced labour.

“Each major glove company uses millions of moulds every year, so there is a need to ask for evidence of the conditions under which these moulds are made,” he said.

Past Related Malaysian Gloves and Modern Slavery Related Stories 

26th Sept 2024: Former Malaysian gloves plant workers sue Kimberly-Clark. They allege abuse at company’s supplier Brightway

20th Sep 2023: CBP modifies withhold release order against Supermax Corporation Bhd. and its subsidiaries

26th Feb 2023: Malaysian glovemakers must show ‘no forced labour’ to sell to UK’s National Health Service.

August 18 2022: Migrant workers at Malaysian glove maker Brightway Holdings file US lawsuit against Kimberly-Clark Corp & Ansell, accusing them of “knowingly profiting” from alleged use of forced labour

August 12 2022: Full case submission now available online for the former Brightway Gloves (Malaysia) Bangladeshi workers US court case claims related to forced labour against Ansell and Kimberly Clark Corporation (KCC)

10th August 2022 Reuters: Ex-workers at Malaysian supplier sue Kimberly-Clark, Ansell over alleged labour abuse

10th August 2022: Ansell and Kimberly-Clark Sued in US Federal Court by Trafficking and Forced Labor Victims from Malaysian Glove Company

16th June 2022: My comment on Norway wealth fund putting Malaysia’s Supermax Corp under observation.

The Diplomat, April 4, 2022 – After Pressure, Growing Transparency in Malaysia’s Glove Industry

8th Feb 2022: Malaysia’s scandal-hit Supermax pays $6 million in compensation to migrant workers.

28th Dec 2021 Reuters: Ansell halts orders from Malaysian glove maker Brightway after US ban 

The Sydney Morning Herald, December 21, 2021 – Gloves off: Ansell under fire over “modern slavery” at Malaysian supplier 

20th Dec 2021 Reuters: U.S. Customs bans fifth Malaysian glove maker Brightway over alleged forced labour

14th September 2021 – The Diplomat: Debt Bondage Payouts Flow to Workers in Malaysia’s Glove Industry 

Reuters, September 10, 2021 – U.S. lifts import ban on Malaysia’s Top Glove over forced labour concerns

VOA, July 7, 2021 – Forced Labor Rising in Malaysia’s Rubber Glove Factories, Study Shows

Reuters, May 29, 2021: U.S. probes two Malaysian glove makers over forced labour allegations – report Reuters

20th May 2021 Reuters Insight: ‘Slavery’ found at a Malaysian glove factory. Why didn’t the auditor see it?

The Guardian, March 30, 2021 – US bars rubber gloves from Malaysian from due to ‘evidence of forced labour’

CNN, March 30, 2021 – US will seize all Top Glove imports after finding ‘sufficient evidence’ of forced labour

Reuters, March 30, 2021 – U.S. Customs says forced labour used at Malaysia’s Top Glove, to seize gloves

28th Dec 2020 Malay Mail: Human Resources Ministry – Brightway Holdings, two subsidiaries to face 30 charges over workers accommodation

21st Dec 2020: Malaysia: Hundreds of migrant workers subject to “squalid” onsite living conditions at glove manufacturers owned by Brightway Holdings; Incl. buyer responses

VOA, November 19, 2020 – After US Sanctions, Malaysia Migrant Workers Get Millions in Restitution from Glove Makers

CNN, September 11, 2020 – The world’s top suppliers of disposable gloves are thriving because of the pandemic. Their workers aren’t

VOA, July 17, 2020 – US Bars Imports from Top Rubber Glove Maker Amid COVID Surge

Newsroom, July 28, 2020 – Are your disposable gloves made using forced labour?

Reuters, July 16, 2020 – Amid virus crisis, U.S. bars imports of Malaysia’s Top Glove over labour issues

Associated Press (AP), March 4, 2020 – Key medical glove factories cutting staff 50% amid virus

VOA, October 11, 2019 – US Ban on Malaysian Glove Maker Highlights ‘Systemic’ Labor Abuse

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Why Human Rights Matter to Business?

Risky Business with Darian McBain: Asia

15th January 2024

Why Human Rights Matter to Business with Darian McBain – Interview with Andy Hall – Migrant Worker Rights Specialist

Asian business is changing. Customer demands, government regulations, stakeholder expectations, they are all evolving under the pressure of the environmental crisis. And even the most robust business models are starting to show cracks. But it’s through those cracks that opportunities arrive.

Do you know how to navigate this new normal?

Andy Hall is a human rights defender, a researcher/investigator and activist, and an independent specialist on migrant worker rights.

In this episode of Risky Business, Andy talks about how he uncovered – and helped to tackle – the problem of labour rights abuses in Malaysia’s latex glove industry.

Click HERE to listen 

Workers yesterday in Negeri Sembilan at government offices, all of which alleged rejected their complaints

Daily Star 4th Nov 2025: MEDICERAM IN MALAYSIA – 190 Bangladeshis in Ansell global gloves supply chain fired for protesting exploitation

Bangladesh

MEDICERAM IN MALAYSIA

190 Bangladeshis fired for protesting exploitation

Mediceram workers yesterday in Negeri Sembilan at government offices, all of which alleged rejected their complaints

DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT

Tue Nov 4, 2025 12:00 AM Last update on: Tue Nov 4, 2025 08:15 AM 

A Malaysian gloves manufacturer has terminated 190 Bangladeshi workers for protesting against exploitative practices, including the non-renewal of their visas.

The migrant workers at the Kuala Lumpur-based company Mediceram told The Daily Star yesterday that the management handed termination letters to all Bangladeshi employees on October 31 and has begun cancelling their visas to deport them.Mediceram workers protesting at Negeri Sembilan government officials yesterday, with PSM teamWorkers allege their employer was at Bangladeshi HC yesterday prior to refusal of support to them by the diplomats and labour Attache team

“I heard visas of six Bangladeshis have already been cancelled and the company will do the same for others,” said one worker.

“We also went to the Malaysian labour court and immigration department with a legal counsellor, but we were told that we cannot file any complaint,” the worker said.

Summary of Complaints Filed by 18 Workers to Government Departments on 3rd Nov 2025.pdfDownload

Over the past two years, since 2023, Mediceram workers have gone on strike multiple times, demanding payment of unpaid wages and recruitment fees.

Even Expatriates’ Welfare Adviser Asif Nazrul had visited the workers in May and assured them their problems would be resolved.

We also went to the Malaysian labour court and immigration department with a legal counsellor, but we were told that we cannot file any complaint.

— A sacked worker

“We had unpaid salary and visa renewal issues for many months. Eventually, the company renewed visas for nearly 90 workers but not for the rest,” said another worker.

Around 90 others continued facing problems as their visas were not renewed despite the company’s promise. “So, we went on strike from October 23,” he added.

Malaysia-based migrant rights groups — Workers’ Solidarity Network, Socialis Alternative and Angkatan Kesatuan Siswa Sosialis — issued a joint statement condemning the company’s actions and demanding an end to the unlawful forced deportation.

They said the migrant workers were subjected to “slave-like conditions”, with confiscated passports, delayed salaries, unrenewed visas and frequent threats from employers.

The statement said Mediceram has faced similar allegations since 2017.

Between 2022 and 2024, around 4.5 lakh Bangladeshis were recruited in Malaysia but were charged Tk 4.5 lakh to Tk 6 lakh, leaving many in debt and unemployed.

The statement said Mediceram workers had organised eight or nine protests over the years, and each time the employer made promises to settle outstanding debts and meet the workers’ demands — promises that were repeatedly broken.

“Even the involvement of government agencies has failed to bring meaningful pressure or decisive action to resolve the workers’ claims,” it said.

The situation worsened on September 30 when immigration officers raided the factory and detained about 90 workers for allegedly not having valid visas.

“In reality, all of them were legal employees, but the company failed to renew their visas,” the statement added.

Although recruitment fees were reimbursed on October 27, the company has yet to return the workers’ passports or renew their visas.

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Statement for Immediate Release 3rd Nov 2025: Around 190 Bangladeshi Migrant Workers at Mediceram Dismissed for Demanding Fair and Dignified Working Conditions

Public Statement by the Workers’ Solidarity Network, Sosialis Alternatif and AKSI (Angkatan Kesatuan Siswa Sosialis)

03/11/2025

Mediceram workers have gone on strike several times to demand payment of recruitment fees and unpaid wages. They work in slave-like conditions — passports confiscated, salaries delayed, visas not renewed, and frequent threats from their employers. Despite repeated protests, the employers have not kept their promises and the authorities have failed to take firm action.

Also available at https://www.instagram.com/p/DQlcmBEDyQx/?igsh=MWVncnBsbW9qcHZuZg== and https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1PJPKFTmmB/

PSM statement 3rd Nov 2025: 180 Migrant Workers laid off simply for demanding fair employment rights and safe environment (original Malay language180 Pekerja Migrin dipecat hanya kerana menuntut hak pekerjaan yang adil serta persekitaran yang selamat.)

Breaking News 31st Oct: Malaysia’s Mediceram, Supplier to Global Gloves Industry including Ansell, YTY and Top Glove, Allegedly Terminates All 180 Bangladeshi Foreign Workers, Alleged Victims of Forced Labour, and Moves to Force Repatriation to Bangladesh – 31 October 2025 | Selangor, Malaysia

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On October 31, all were terminated and told to prepare for deportation, accused of being absent without reason.

“This is a blatant distortion of the truth,” the statement said, calling for immediate reinstatement of the workers, return of their passports and renewal of their visas.

“Mediceram must take full legal responsibility for its obligations,” it added.

Workers complaint to management Mediceram Oct25Download

Mediceram unfair dismissal workers statement 3rd Nov 2025DownloadWorkers dismissal letters Oct 2025Mediceram workers on filing OECD complaint in Australia against Ansell in August 2025

ABC News: 11th Sept 2025: Australian glove-maker Ansell accused of exploiting workers at Malaysian factory of supplier, MediCeram

Ansell, a key global healthcare products buyer from Mediceram 

ABC News: 11th Sept 2025: Australian glove-maker Ansell accused of exploiting workers at Malaysian factory of supplier, MediCeram

Original Source: ABC News by Ben Butler– 11th September 202

In short:

A complaint lodged at the federal Treasury claims 220 Bangladeshi workers at a Malaysian factory where moulds for Ansell gloves are made have suffered serious human rights abuses. 

Ansell, headquartered in Melbourne, says it has looked into the allegations and identified breaches of international labour standards.

However, the Malaysian company’s chairman denies the allegations.

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Australian glove-maker Ansell is being accused of using an overseas supplier that has allegedly exploited more than 200 factory workers — including through forced labour — in a complaint lodged with the federal government.Mediceram workers protest in October 2025

The Melbourne-based company confirmed to the ABC that it has investigated allegations involving workers at the Malaysian factory, among others, and “identified a number of issues that did not meet international labour standards”.

It is now the subject of a complaint lodged with the federal Treasury — where disputes over minimum labour standards at multinational companies are filed — by international labour activist Andy Hall.Original worker demandsOriginal worker demands 

According to the complaint, more than 220 Bangladeshi workers at MediCeram, which makes moulds for Ansell’s gloves, “have suffered serious abuses of fundamental worker and human rights”.Ansell is a Melbourne-based company that makes gloves as well as other personal protection equipment for the healthcare industry.  (ABC News: John Gunn)Workers OECD complaint against Ansell in Australia 

The alleged abuses include wage theft, forced labour and debt bondage, as well as the deportation of workers who complained about their treatment.

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MediCeram vehemently denies any abuse of its workers.

In his complaint, Mr Hall said the workers paid fees of about $US5,200 each to recruiters in Bangladesh, leaving them in debt bondage.

Ansell Advances Labour Rights Across Its Supply Chain Press Release August 2025.pdf (recent statement)Download

Many took industrial action in March over allegations of several months of unpaid wages and overtime, according to the complaint.

Mr Hall also alleged that some workers had been deprived of their passports for periods of time and their work visas had not been renewed.Mediceram workers protest against Ansell in August 2025

He alleged that about 33 workers who complained to management were sacked and deported.

“Ansell’s due diligence measures failed to prevent the forced labour and retribution by termination in this instance,” Mr Hall said in the complaint.

One Bangladeshi employee, speaking anonymously to the ABC over concerns about his employment, said six workers were housed in each room at MediCeram’s accommodation.

Chairman of Malaysian company denies allegations

Workers original demands March 2025 at Mediceram

Mr Hall filed the complaint with Treasury because it runs the Australian National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct (AusNCP) — the designated “national contact point” for dealing with such disputes under an arrangement set up by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

(270525) Ansell – Mediceram statement – for customers.pdfDownload

(20250624) Ansell – Mediceram Letter.pdfDownload

It is the second time labour activists have used the mechanism to allege breaches of workers’ rights at suppliers to Ansell.

In 2017, Treasury settled a dispute between the company and the union IndustriALL. In that matter, it was alleged that workers at Ansell factories in Sri Lanka and Malaysia were coerced into agreeing to unsafe working conditions and suffered significant health issues from workplace contamination. Ansell denied the allegations.Ansell has previously denied allegations of unsafe working conditions at its factories. (Facebook: Ansell)

MediCeram supplies moulds of hands that are dipped into latex or plastic to make gloves for Ansell. The Malaysian company’s chairman, Arumugam Suppiah, denied all of Mr Hall’s allegations.

“This is unfair, and intimidation by the so-called labour activist,” he told the ABC.

“Ansell is a respectable company and MediCeram has complied with all local rules.

“All the allegations can be refuted with supporting documents.”

He said Ansell continued to support MediCeram, but had not bought anything from the company for three months.On their corporate Facebook page, Ansell advertises the size of their glove business. (Facebook: Ansell)

An Ansell spokesperson said the company “pre-ordered, expedited payment for and took advance delivery of over one year’s worth of ceramic formers to support the supplier’s cash flow” so that MediCeram could fund repayments to workers and a remediation package.

The spokesperson confirmed Ansell investigated MediCeram and other ceramic-former suppliers earlier this year and “identified a number of issues that did not meet international labour standards or comply with our supplier code of conduct”.

“Ansell has deliberately chosen not to walk away from the suppliers, including the supplier that is the subject of the AusNCP complaint,” the spokesperson said.

“We continue to engage with them closely to encourage their mitigation and remediation of the issues identified.”

The spokesperson said they would deal with the complaints process “in good faith”.

Mr Hall said that while MediCeram had agreed to repay the recruitment fees in instalments, the eight months it had to pay was “too lengthy”.

“Many workers have been excluded from the remediation package unfairly and irrationally by MediCeram, including repatriated and departed workers,” he said in the complaint.

He also accused Ansell of irresponsibly disengaging from MediCeram, contrary to OECD guidelines that state multinationals should work to fix problems at their suppliers rather than walking away.

Firm’s duty to prevent modern slavery, legal expert says

Ansell Mediceram workers’ August 2025 complaint letter to RBA’s Responsible Glove Alliance and remediation letter