Although migrant workers in Malaysia account for a large proportion of the workforce, the Malaysian
government is criticised as facilitators of their abuse. This has placed a significant strain on the
Malaysian government’s relationships with migrant workers’ origin countries. In order to improve
these important political relationships and retain migrant workers, the Malaysian government should
consider immigration policy reforms that will improve the treatment of migrant workers. One key
recommendation includes providing an impartial data source on migrant workers by creating a new
migrant research subdivision in the Department of Statistics. The current Migration Survey Report is
irregular and insufficient and Malaysian media is generally prejudiced against migrant workers.
Another useful recommendation is to provide migrant workers with leaflets (in different languages and
in simple terms) on their labour rights. This should be distributed at the border as well as online to
ensure that migrant workers are entering the country aware of their rights and how to enforce them.
This would help prevent common exploitative practices like passport retention. Foreign domestic
workers should be provided with a separate guidebook as their labour situation is significantly more
vulnerable and different to typical migrant workers. Nevertheless, exploitation often begins prior to
arrival through recruitment agencies via debt bondage and forced labour situations. The Malaysian
government should seek to diversify away from these agencies towards memorandums of
understandings: a cheaper and better regulated alternative to ensure migrant workers’ safety.