Malaysia is one of Asia's biggest employers of foreign labour. But recently, cases of deaths, abuse and forced labour have come to light. What is going on? Who is protecting these migrant workers?
The group, numbering 119, has been camping outside the Indian High Commission
in Jalan Duta here since Wednesday morning, claiming that they were underpaid
and ill-treated by their employer.
<p>The workers, employed as machine and electrical parts operators, also claimed
that the firm was holding their passports and the management had threatened
to beat them up if they went public with their demands. </p>
<p>The workers, aged between 22 and 45, arrived at the high commission in Jalan
Duta on Wednesday morning, after boarding a bus from Johor Baru the night before.
</p>
<p>Indian High Commissioner R.L. Narayan said his officials had contacted the
agent and asked them to come here to resolve the dispute, adding that the Protector
of Emigrants in Chennai had also been notified. </p>
<p>"We want the agent to come here to sort out the problem. The workers are
in a quandary and we are trying to assist them," he told The Star. </p>
<p>Narayan said his officials, who interviewed the workers, were told that the
agent had promised them a monthly wage of RM750. </p>
<p>"However, their employment contract states that their monthly wage was
only RM416. Some of them claim they did not even receive this amount, and were
paid only between RM100 and RM200," he said, adding that the high commission
was not involved in their employment here. </p>
<p>Narayan said the high commission was helping to provide food and drinks to
the workers, and also put them up at budget hotels, pending the arrival of the
agent. </p>
<p>All the workers have valid working permits. </p>
<p>Many of the workers claimed that they had borrowed huge sums of money to secure
the jobs here. </p>
<p>R. Mathialagan, 27, from Tamil Nadu, said he wanted to go home, and asked that
his passport be returned. </p>
<p>"I borrowed RM10,000 (Rs100,000) just to come here. Things were really
bad in JB. The firm forced us to take leave for 15 days every month, claiming
that they failed to secure contracts. </p>
<p>"They said we would only be paid when they got contracts," he said.
</p>
<p>T. Vijayaramalingam, 24, from Ramanathapuram, said the workers would not return
to Johor Baru until the matter was cleared. </p>
<p>The company management, when contacted, declined to comment. </p>
<p>MIC Youth Social and Welfare Committee chairman T. Mohan, who visited the workers
yesterday, also pledged to help them.
Address: Wisma MTUC,10-5, Jalan USJ 9/5T, 47620 Subang Jaya,Selangor | Tel: 03-80242953 | Fax: 03-80243225 | Email: sgmtuc@gmail.com.com