Cambodia stops sending laborers to Malaysia

Cambodia decided to suspend dispatching laborers to Malaysia after subsequent reports of physical abuses, death and working as slaves, a lawmaker and recruitment agents said on Friday. "Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen decided to suspend sending housemaids to Malaysia after the reports of repeated tortures," Mu Sochua, member of parliament from the main opposition party, said on Friday after a briefing meeting with the premier during a break at the national assembly. An Bunhak, president of the Association of Cambodian Recruiting Agencies, said that it was true that Cambodia decided to stop sending laborers to Malaysia. Currently, there are more than 20,000 Cambodian maids in Malaysia. Malaysia has recruited Cambodian women since its neighboring Indonesia barred domestic workers from coming to Malaysia in 2009 after the report of physical abuses and law violation by employers. Mohamad Fairuz Shafie, first secretary of Malaysia Embassy to Cambodia, said Friday that the embassy has not heard of the ban. "We have not received any official letter from Cambodian government about the ban," he told Xinhua on Friday.