Malaysia protests senator's remarks

Malaysia protests senator's remarks

MANILA (Reuter): Malaysia has been angered by remarks by a leading Philippine senator that it was a "high-risk and dangerous" destination for Filipino workers, the foreign office said yesterday.

Foreign Undersecretary Rodolfo Severino said Malaysia had protested against a warning issued by Senator Ernesto Herrera to Filipino workers that Malaysia was an unsafe destination.

He said the Philippine ambassador to Kuala Lumpur, Alberto Encomienda, was summoned last week by Malaysian officials to explain why their country was "inaccurately and unfairly" described by Herrera.

Herrera, chairman of the Senate labor committee, this month recommended the issue of warnings classifying Malaysia, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran and the Marianas islands in the Pacific as "dangerous, high-risk to moderately risky" employment destinations.