Malaysia Vows Action Against World's Top Glovemaker Over Migrants' Illegal Overtime
Malaysia's Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran said action will be taken against Top Glove for breaching labour laws on overtime hours. "(The company) themselves admitted (to this) so we will take the necessary action," Kulasegaran told reporters, after visiting one of Top Glove's 35 Malaysian factories on Monday. "We will strictly enforce (the labour law) and we will prevent them in bringing in foreign workers if they breach this regulation," he said, adding that an investigation was ongoing. Malaysia's labour ministry said Top Glove could face a fine of up to 10,000 Malaysian ringgit ($2,400) if found guilty of breaching labour laws on excessive overtime. This announcement came after the Thomson Reuters Foundation revealed that migrant workers at the Malaysian company often worked long hours to help clear debts to recruitment agents back home who found them jobs - and in some cases exceed the legal overtime limit. The expose has prompted investigations by the British government, after finding some Top Glove supplies were used in UK hospitals, and by Australian rubber giant Ansell. It was also raised as a concern by a European parliamentarian. Top Glove's share price fell about 5.9 percent on Monday to 5.55 Malaysian ringgit ($1.33). Speaking at a press conference in Malaysia, Top Glove's Executive Chairman and Founder Lim Wee Chai said "a small number" of workers had done excessive overtime and the company would "continue to improve" its labour standards. "We do our part, we do it correctly, we have no pressure, we still can sleep very well tonight," he told reporters at a Top Glove factory in Klang, an industrial area outside Kuala Lumpur.
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