Klang, Malaysia: Malaysia said on Monday it would take action against Top Glove Corp. Bhd, the world’s top glovemaker, which admitted breaching labour laws after a Thomson Reuters Foundation expose found some migrants working illegal overtime to pay off debts.

The Thomson Reuters Foundation revealed on Thursday that migrant workers at the Malaysian company often work long hours to help clear debts to recruitment agents back home - and in some cases exceed the legal overtime limit.

Speaking at a press conference in Malaysia, Top Glove’s Executive Chairman and Founder Lim Wee Chai said ‘a small number’ of workers had done excessive overtime and the company would ‘continue to improve’ its labour standards.

‘We do our part, we do it correctly, we have no pressure, we still can sleep very well tonight,’ he told reporters at a Top Glove factory in Klang, an industrial area outside Kuala Lumpur.

‘We will continue to do good, if there is any feedback, anything no good, we will continue to improve.’

Malaysia’s Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran said ‘action will be taken’ against Top Glove for breaching labour laws on overtime hours.

Under Malaysian laws, workers should be given a rest day each week and work no more than 104 hours of overtime a month.

‘(The company) themselves admitted (to this) so we will take the necessary action,’ Kulasegaran told reporters.

‘We will strictly enforce (the labour law) and we will prevent them in bringing in foreign workers if they breach this regulation.’

Malaysia’s labour ministry said Top Glove could face a fine of up to 10,000 Malaysian ringgit ($2,400) if found guilty of breaching labour laws on excessive overtime.

Britain’s health ministry said it would investigate standards at Top Glove - which makes rubber gloves sold to Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) - after being presented with the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s findings.

The Thomson Reuters Foundation discovered that at least one Top Glove product is supplied to the NHS via a British firm, raising doubts about Britain’s capacity to ensure its medical supply chain is free of labour abuses and unethical practices.

Lim said Top Glove, which has 40 factories with 35 in Malaysia, had not received any inquiries or complaint from the British authorities.

Top Glove’s share price fell about 5.9 percent on Monday to 5.55 Malaysian ringgit ($1.33).

‘The share price ... is temporary, up or down is temporary,’ Lim said.

The company, which produces one in every four pairs of rubber gloves used globally, said last week it would cut ties with unethical recruitment agents, and that it has introduced changes this year to ensure workers get adequate rest.

Top Glove, a major global supplier of medical and rubber gloves to 195 countries including Britain and the United States, employs over 11,000 migrant workers, from countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and India.