6 December 2021

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[…] Dyson […] said it would pull its business from ATA in six months, citing a recent independent audit on conditions for workers and allegations by an unidentified whistleblower.

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With Dyson's departure, six workers and shopkeepers interviewed in the Johor Bahru industrial area said they feared they might lose their livelihoods.

"There is no guarantee of a job here anymore," said one off-duty ATA worker, wearing his royal-blue factory work shirt on a recent Sunday. Like others, he asked not to be identified for fear of reprisal.

ATA officially employs around 8,000 workers, although four ATA workers and the former executive estimated its workforce had been as high as 17,000 until recently, including those without permits. Most of 17,000 were from Bangladesh and Nepal, according to the workers and executive.

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