Plywood company hasn’t paid us for 3 months, migrant workers claim

Over 250 migrant workers from Bangladesh, Myanmar, Indonesia, and Nepal at Mentakab Veneer & Plywood Sdn Bhd in Pahang have gone unpaid for more than three months, leading to financial hardship for themselves and their families. The Bangladeshi workers claim their working conditions were not as outlined in their contracts, and they were forced to work up to 12 hours daily for a daily wage of RM65, instead of the eight hours agreed upon.

They were also denied weekly rest days and had their passports held, violating contract terms. The workers allege the company withheld their salaries and demanded a RM2,500 deposit for their annual leave, an unreasonable condition. Despite notifying the Bangladeshi high commission and the Malaysian labour department, no officials investigated their claims.

The company's spokesman stated that the wage delay was due to internal company issues, but they had partially paid the workers' salaries but did not disclose the exact amount. The workers claim the company's management has been aggressive and dismissive of their efforts to resolve the issue, with their demands escalating daily.