Bridging Cultural Communication Gaps: Strengthening Migrant Workers’ Protection Through Pre- and Post-arrival Competency Programmes in Malaysia

Abstract

Migrant workers can be considered as a catalyst for Malaysia’s economic development. There were 2.14 million migrant workers in Malaysia as of June 2025. However, these migrant workers often face various problems, especially regarding their rights in Malaysia. These situations frequently arise due to the lack of awareness among migrant workers about their legally protected rights in Malaysia. Thus, this article aims to explore the advantages of introducing cultural communication competency (CCC) programmes by examining present communication methods and their constraints. This article also utilised the qualitative method and the data collected using primary (interviews with different stakeholders) and secondary sources. The data collected were analysed using qualitative analysis techniques. This study witnessed that the language barrier is the main obstacle that leads to the lack of awareness about migrant workers’ rights in Malaysia, and employers do not take the initiative to educate their migrant workers. While the findings indicate that CCC programmes can enhance communication, safety awareness and access to information, the study also demonstrates that CCC alone is insufficient to address structural forms of exploitation without effective regulation, enforcement and protection mechanisms.