Due to rapid business expansion in the past two years, Western Digital sought and received approval from the Malaysian government to recruit additional staff from Indonesia.

The increased volume of work permits resulted in processing delays, but Western Digital is working closely with Malaysian Immigration to expedite the remaining permit backlog.

At all times, Western Digital ensures each Indonesian WD employee is working legally in Malaysia with the full approval of immigration authorities.

Employee safety and protection of fundamental rights is Western Digital's primary concern.

Recognizing the challenges Malaysia faces with illegal immigration and to prevent any potential misunderstanding with the authorities, we encourage our Indonesian employees to carry multiple forms of identification when traveling outside of our factory and residential facilities.

In the few cases where our employees have been mistakenly detained, Western Digital has successfully resolved the misunderstanding with authorities.

Western Digital advocates and adheres to ethical employment standards such as the Electronics Industry Code of Conduct and participates in peer company assessments of our workplace practices.

We also partner with both government and non-government organizations to proactively assess and address migrant worker issues.

As a caring employer, Western Digital will thoroughly investigate all claims outlined in the article and take appropriate action.

The writer, Michael Meston, is vice-president of Asia Human Resources for Western Digital Corporation.

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