M’sia: Plantations Need To Be Serious In Helping Workers

The Malaysian government recently called on plantations to take their corporate social responsibility (CSR) seriously, and to make efforts to address the grievances of their workers in a holistic manner.

Deputy Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister, Datuk G. Palanivel, was reported to have said the estate managements were at present merely taking ad hoc measures to tackle complaints on poor housing, lack of social amenities, agricultural plots for farming and husbandry, and quality of water supply.

Palanivel told Bernama that, in mid-July, he and the ministry’s officers would visit estates facing such problems and discuss with the managements ways to find long-term solutions to these genuine woes of the workers.

He expressed hoped that the estate managements would give their full cooperation to improving the living standards of their workers in line with the country’s policy of achieving a better quality of life for all.