Inaccurate news report on child labour in Sabah
Forest Trust (TFT) wishes to correct an inaccurate news report by a news agency on June 21 entitled “Child Labour in Sabah: Children Only Accompanying Elders at Work”, stating that “… the Labour Department, Human Resources Ministry, in collaboration with TFT in several districts in Sabah, found that children and youth were only accompanying their elders who worked as farm labourers”.
We wish to inform that TFT has not conducted any field assessment and/or verification visits with any Labour Department offices in Sabah.
Additionally, the statement “…children and young persons are only seen to be helping their parents at work and not viewed as child labourers”, does not accurately reflect TFT’s understanding and position on this matter.
TFT wishes to clarify that child labour is not solely defined by compulsion of children to work. According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), child labour refers to work that deprives children of their childhood, potential and dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development; work that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to children; and interferes with their schooling (ILO Minimum Age Convention C138).
When companies and smallholder farmers source children and young people as seasonal workers, coupled with the absence of policy commitment and procedures to prohibit child labour on site, we are of the view that these practices will contribute to child labour.
For the record, TFT has been undertaking field assessments in collaboration with our members in the plantation sector in Sabah since 2013. In September, TFT held a consultation where company representatives shared their concerns and challenges relating to children living in or near plantations in Sabah.
TFT acknowledges the complexity of the issue of child labour and stateless and undocumented children in many countries around the world, including Malaysia.
Hence, we encourage the authorities to address this matter seriously. Moreover, it is imperative that there are clear policy and legal guidelines for businesses and the community to know what child labour is to avoid it. This includes having a list of hazardous work that no child or workers under 18 can engage in.
TFT is a non-profit, membership based organisation that works with companies for the benefit of people and nature. TFT believes that long-lasting solutions can be achieved only with the collaboration of government, civil society and businesses.