Suicide, chronic diseases among main causes of Nepali deaths in Malaysia

Between 2018 and May 2024, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) reported that 2,214 Nepali migrant workers died in Malaysia, according to data from the Nepali embassy. Suhakam chairman Hishamudin Yunus emphasized that the loss of these migrant workers should not be treated as mere statistics, highlighting suicide and chronic diseases, such as heart failure, as leading causes.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Suhakam and the National Human Rights Commission of Nepal (NHRCN) was renewed for three more years, until 2028, to focus on the rights of migrant workers and people residing in both countries. Under the agreement, both commissions will work together to investigate alleged human rights violations, including deaths, and monitor conditions at detention centers.

They will also address recruitment fees and forced labor risks, and collaborate with the Social Security Organisation (Perkeso) to enhance Nepali workers' access to social security protection. There are approximately 400,000 Nepali workers in Malaysia, with Suhakam receiving 46 complaints involving Nepali workers between 2021 and August 2023.

These complaints encompassed alleged human rights violations, such as withheld passports, excessively long work hours, unpaid or delayed wages, unsafe working conditions, and inadequate protection. The renewed MoU will also see both commissions review policies and recommend improvements to their governments, aiming to enhance migrant workers' access to justice.

NHRCN is scheduled to meet the Malaysian prisons department and Perkeso during a working visit to Malaysia.