Working conditions and labour laws in Malaysia

I have no job in Malaysia though I am also curious about the questions.

Malaysia has a loose set of labor laws and i say "loose" because whatever laws exist are not well enforced, according to employed friends who often have complaints which were filed with the labor department.

People are not well informed about the laws and what protections are supposed to exist, and as a result its hard to know if filed complaints were valid or not.

My friends report all manner and sorts of variable employment rules as told to them by their employers or in their contracts; rules often change at the whim of employers; employers may be in violation of government rules or human rights; there seems to be an environment that employers are free to make and change rules best suited to the company; its unknown how much commonality exists between employers around the country; people make the assumption that if an employer has a rule, it must be correct and lawful.

Im not focused on perks and benefits but on the rights of employers and employees.

I have a friend who got a job with an international company in July. She was given unwritten rules and duties and did her work. Last week they confirmed her and this time gave a contract which did not exactly resemble what had transpired during the previous three months, plus an increase in hours, less time off, no change in salary. She allowed the confirmation but now will start looking for a new job.

While I can only see such examples from afar, it appears that employers do what they like and stretch the limits as much as possible. In TRUE Vision 2020, there would have to be real and uniform laws the violations of which would be punishable. The government itself seems to be more concerned with Immigration violations than workplace conditions. Office conditions seem to be pretty much standard, the big variables are in the factories. Ive seen appalling conditions in which workers operate heavy machinery with no safety precautions at all, and there are many examples of workers having 10 and 12 hour workdays on those dangerous machines or working around (possibly) dangerous chemicals.

People want jobs, they need money, so they overlook and hope for the best.  Whats unknown to me anyway, is what happens to workers and company owners when there are serious accidents. Who pays the damages? Write off to bad luck all the time? Any employers sued? Any factories closed? Any remedial action taken for the future? Unknown.

Most first world countries have liberal safety and other benefits for workers of all types. There are many unions and penalties and courts. But this is the third world and changes to the systems are resisted by employers because it raises costs and prices. But thats what the first world is, a better world at a price. Malaysia isnt there yet.