COMMENT | Forced labour in US and UK prisons

COMMENT | First, I would like to congratulate the British High Commissioner and US ambassador for highlighting the need to end forced labour. It is indeed a global phenomenon that includes Malaysia, the UK, and the US. As they rightly point out,

“Rock bottom wages and poor treatment of migrant workers also hurt economic development and growth at the macro level. The problems that poor treatment of migrant workers creates for Malaysia’s image in the global economy makes moving manufacturing up the value chain and creating skilled, well-paying jobs for Malaysians more difficult, hampering the country’s broader growth and development aspirations.”

Yes indeed, and the plight of all workers whether migrants or low-paid Malaysian workers in a country where the minimum wage is just RM1200 should give cause for concern and urgent remedial action. It is important to note that forced labour anywhere is a scourge and it is also evident in developed countries such as the US and UK.

For example, one form of forced labour, largely hidden, exists in the US and UK prison systems. In the US, there are approximately 1,800,000 prisoners in the “prison-industrial complex” and 80,000 in the UK.