Child Rights in Malaysia

40% of Malaysia’s workforce consists of foreign migrant workers. Of those, an estimated 3-6 million are undocumented. This creates a host of risks for workers, with common issues including high recruitment fees (leading to bonded labor), lack of representation in unions; false job representation in recruitment process; withholding of travel documents; unacceptable working conditions and employer-provided housing. 

The country is also home to a large population of “stateless” children (no formal citizenship so they do not have access to state services) and families across the nation are facing increased hardships due to the pandemic. These challenges are aggravating the risk of child labour in Malaysia, which has already been an ongoing challenge, especially on palm oil plantations.