Kuala Lumpur-- Migrant workers in Malaysia have formed a Mon Labour Rights Promotion Network (MLRPN) on October 2, 2008 and elected a working committee to work for the rights of migrant workers.

The special event for the undocumented workers, attended by 57 participants, elected nine leaders including Nai Htow Juan, Apar Mon, Siha Raejae and Jarai Ong.

Even though some migrant workers have work permits with legal passports, the Burmese government has not addressed the many problems their workers face when applying for work and when working abroad.  Representing their people's rights are essential to forming this network group to protect the many thousands of migrant workers, said the new Director Nai Htow Juan.

The MLRPN said there are about 30,000 Mon migrant workers in Malaysia and only five per cent have work permits.  Due to the poor economic prospects in their own country and the human rights situation back home, many Mons enter Thailand and Malaysia to work in 3D jobs.  Their positions vary from working in restaurants, factories, construction sites and rubber plantations.

Occasionally, migrant workers are arrested by immigration officers and ill treated.  Unlike other workers from Indonesia and the Philippines, the SPDC does not represent the rights of Burmese workers.

According to a government source, Malaysia wants to block foreign workers whose numbers have reached nearly three million in the past decade where many are working in the country illegally.  The government plans to apply stricter standards for the hiring of foreign labour in order to reduce their number to 1.8 million in the next year and to 1.5 million by 2015.  It is estimated there are 500,000 to 700,000 illegal immigrants in addition to more than two million legal foreign workers.