The Well-Being of Muslim Migrant Workers in Malaysia Oil Palm Plantation: An Exploration of Expert Opinion

Chyairreil Annwar Akmal; Mahazan Abdul Mutalib; Wan Mohd. Fazrul Azdi Wan Razali

doi:10.47405/mjssh.v9i6.2853

Chyairreil Annwar Akmal Faculty of Leadership and Management, University Sains Islam Malaysia, 71800 Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.
Mahazan Abdul Mutalib Faculty of Leadership and Management, University Sains Islam Malaysia, 71800 Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.
Wan Mohd. Fazrul Azdi Wan Razali Faculty of Leadership and Management, University Sains Islam Malaysia, 71800 Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.47405/mjssh.v9i6.2853

Keywords: Well-being, Migrant workers, Oil palm, Indicators

Abstract

For several decades, palm oil is one of the main drivers of Malaysia’s economy and responsible in producing 8.5% of the world's oil and fat. In spite of its reputation as a main producer of palm oil, this industry depends heavily on migrant labor. In 2016, there were 429,351 laborers employed in the palm oil plantation industry. From this figure, 330,185 or 77% were foreign workers mostly from Bangladesh and Indonesia. Nonetheless, in recent developments, there were several issues that allegedly affected this industry, specifically in labor that impacted their well-being. Labor exploitation, debt bondage, abuse of vulnerability, deceit, and restriction of movement were among frequent issues that linked to migrant workers' well-being. Their well-being is essential in contributing to higher productivity of the workforce. Thus, the goal of this study is to explore the probable indicators that could affect their happiness.

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