During 1-2 September 2010, Mr. Kamthorn Sithitichoti, the Minister, and Mr. Singhadet Chu-Umnart, the Minister Counselor (Labour) traveled to Kuching, Sarawak to meet with the Director General of the Department of Labour Sarawak, the Director of Sarawak Immigration Office, and the employer of the Global Upline Sdn. Bhd in order to investigate the slow process and speed up operation to send Thai workers who work with the company back to Thailand. In this regard, the company was claiming that the regional office had not undertaken the process to extend the Letter of Approval in Principal to Employ Non-Resident Employee (AP) and work permit.
On 1 September 2010, Mr. Singhadet Chu-Umnart, the Minister Counselor (Labour), had a meeting with Mr. Kadir Bin Sapian, the Deputy Assistant Director of the Immigration Office to discuss and investigate the matter. It was found that there were 42 Thai labours that had not traveled back. The company had not paid the work permit levy for these workers although prior to situation, the Immigration had issued a notifying letter to the company.
The Minister then traveled to meet with HJ. Mohd Zubir Bin Mohd Basri, the Director General of the Department of Labour Sarawak, and the team of officials. On this regard, the Thai authority had informed the situation of the problem and presented the company’s letter claiming that the cause of the slow process was due to the fact that the Department of Labour Sarawak had not undertaken the process to extend the AP. In this way, HJ. Mohd Zubir and the team of officials had guaranteed that in the case where foreign workers wanted to travel back to their own countries, the company and employer were not required to apply for the AP extension. They were only required to pay the levy for the workers in order to send them back. HJ. Mohd Zubir and the team of officials had also reprimanded the company for its slow operation and citing such a letter.
On 2 September 2010, the Thai authority requested for all parties meeting which saw the Director General of the Department of Labour Sarawak, the Deputy Assistant Director of the Immigration Office, and the Director of the Global Upline Sdn. Bhd. (Datuk Michael Ting Sie Ping) participated.
The outcome of the discussion was that the employer had to pay workers’ levy to the Immigration Office and send 42 Thai labours back to Thailand before September 2010. The employer agreed in the meeting to undertake the process immediately.
The Global Upline Sdn. Bhd. Company also summarized that there were in total of 142 Thai workers, 23 workers had already traveled to Thailand, 42 workers were waiting to travel back, and the rest 77 workers were working with the company. The Thai Authority had also notified in the meeting that if anymore worker wished to make a request to travel back home, the company should undertake the process to send them back. The company had promised on the issue.
The Minister and the Minister Counselor (Labour) then met with 42 Thai workers who were about to travel back to Thailand to notify them steps and the outcome of the discussion. All workers were satisfied and thankful for the efforts made to assist them. Among the workers, is Mr. Cheep Karuthani (from Sukhothai) who had a car accident where he was hit by the foreman’s car and is now injured and receiving a treatment. He will travel back to Thailand. The Association of University President of Thailand will send a letter to notify Thailand’s institutes to provide medical assistances for him.
From this problem, we could see that the cause of the problem comes from the fact that these Thai workers came to work illegally. They were invited by illegal brokers. There was no employment contract. They came to Malaysia as tourists and the employers granted them work permit later on. If the employer failed to give them work permit as in such a case, workers may have been arrested and taken legal action. The process to travel back to Thailand would involve more steps which would take longer time.
