The Malaysian journalist who exposed the exploitation of fruit pickers on farms in Australia’s Victoria state has just testified in that country at an inquiry on modern-day slavery practices, telling government officials of indentured labor and religious “brainwashing” trapping them on farms.
Saiful Hasam, a reporter with Utusan Malaysia, spoke of “a thousand sad stories” that he heard while undercover for two weeks at Swan Hill, a fruit farm in northern Victoria.
Workers were often lured to Australia with promises of high incomes, only to find their salaries were a fraction of what was promised. They were forced to live in overcrowded accommodations, which they paid inflated rates to stay in, a situation that trapped them in what amounted to debt bondage. He added that the exploitation continues even now.
Paid just A$110 (US$85) for 24 hours of labor over four days, he told the inquiry that he was asked for A$80 of that to pay rent on a house he shared with 11 other workers, mostly from Malaysia. He was short-changed A$10 by his contractor, and left with just A$20 after all was said and done.
“A thousand sad stories, they are basically the same story. They are struggling,” Hasam said.
“For the newbies, they are very struggling and keep thinking: ‘Today I have to settle how many trees just to pay rental.’ After finishing that part, then we are struggling to collect enough money for the food. Sometimes, based on my experience, it’s just enough for food and rental … This is grossly unfair for the workers, because they are very hard-working.”
When asked what he meant by “religious brainwashing,” he explained that he had been witness to house leaders attempting to assuage the workers’ concerns, assuring them it was simply their faith being tested.
“OK, please be patient, this is your test, coming to Australia, and one fine day you will get enough money. This is normal for everybody, even me,” Hasam recounted.
The SCMP reported that the inquiry has advocated the creation of a modern slavery act and recommended the creation of an independent anti-slavery commissioner, who would have the power to “consult, advise, report on and make recommendations.”
Australia’s justice minister also said that larger companies will be required to submit to the public a modern slavery report each year, while the chairwoman of the industry body Citrus Australia issued a statement saying the revelations made her “sick to my stomach.”
She added that people shouldn’t rush to blame farmers, as it is often the middlemen who hold out on paying workers the full amount given to them by growers.
Regardless, it’s clear that these are issues that have long needed to be brought into the light.
SO PROUD OF YOUR WORK, SAIFUL HASAM!!! Making changes to help those being taken advantage of is an incredible feat. You are an example to all of the power we have as individuals.
