“They whacked us without warning” – an eye witness’s statement

Malay Mail 2 nd March 2006

A 36 year old Indian national has alleged was assaulted by Rela members during an operation to round up a group of men camped outside the Indian High Commission in Jalan Duta.

Chandiran Adaikalam, of Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, fractured both arms during the incident. Chandiran was part of a group of Indian nationals who had been camping in front of the Indian high Commission since Feb 22. The group was seeking help from the High Commission to sort out problems related to their employment, back wages and passport. The group of about 400 Indian nationals claimed they were brought to Malaysia in batches to provide workers for an electronics factory in Pasir Gudang, Johor.

The claimed that for the first two months, they were given jobs and received a salary. However, on the third month, they were told by the company that there was no more work.

On Tuesday night, the workers were rounded up by a Rela team, and 61 of them were found to be without documentation. When the Rela members arrived; they started to kick and punch them. They also used batons to whack them. That was when some of them tried to run. Chandiran claimed that the victims were not even allowed to speak. Chandiran was found by some of his friends at the High Commission gate. At noon yesterday, more than 12 hours after the raid, Chandiran had not been given medical assistance. However, Deputy High Commissioner N. K. Saxena said that medical assistance has been arranged for Chandiran. Federal Territory Rela director Major (Rtd) Mohd Aminuddin Mohd Yusoff said he is not aware of the incident. He also said that he will check with his officers on the allegations.

“Frayed tempers as MTUC reps visit High Commission”

Voices were raised at the Indian High Commission in Jalan Duta yesterday when Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) officials found themselves barred from entering the premises.

Led by MTUC Secretary General G. Rajasekaran, the officials were there to enquire about the plight of a group of Indian nationals detained by Rela members on Tuesday night.

As the verbal battle raged between MTUC representatives and High Commission officials, onlookers may be forgiven for thinking that they were in the middle of a shoot for a Tamil movie. Tempers were frayed and each blamed the other for the sorry situation the Indian nationals were in.

Eventually, MTUC officials met with Indian Deputy High Commissioner N.K. Saxena who gave another take on the issue involving the 61 Indian nationals.

Saxena said allegations by the Indians that there were not paid their wages were not entirely true.

They were paid, but not the amount agreed to in the contract before they came to Malaysia. Before the Indian immigration department granted the Indian nationals permits to work in Malaysia, they had furnished details of a minimum wage of RM 600.00 which they and their Malaysian employer agreed upon. “However, when the Indian national arrived in Malaysia, the employer made them sign another contract for a lesser wage of RM 481.00, he said adding that some signed the contract as they had no choice. Those who did not sign the new contract were also given RM 481.00

Saxena said the High Commission was aware of such contracts but was unable to do much as Malaysia was not a signatory to the International Labour Organisation. “While international norms do not apply to them, we are nevertheless trying to address the problem” he said, adding that immigrant workers are usually advised to register with the High Commission. This group however did not. Saxena said he had negotiated with the employer and managed to obtain RM 1,000 as compensation and airfare for the workers to return home.

“In fact, the employer is not liable for the airfare as the workers had walked out before the contractual period ended” he said, adding that the Indian national chose to walk out of their place of work before the end of last month.

On Tuesday’s incident, Saxena said he had written to the relevant authorities to release the Indian national from detention.

What they say :

Immigration Department “We have locked them up at the Detention Centre in Lenggeng, Negeri Sembilan for 14 days for investigations. If the employers are able to produce valid documents, the men would be released immediately.”

Immigration denies the men were assaulted during the raid. “The situation was under control”

Indian national Chandiran Adaikalam says : “They whacked us without warning” Our pleas were ignored – everything happened very fast. Some of us managed to escape, and those who were subdued by the Rela officers were pushed in one by one into the trucks”

MTUC : “They should investigate before locking them up and not the other way round”

Malaysiakini reports – a statement from Michael a businessman who does social work part-time for MCA Public Services and Complaints Department :

“My friends and I watched in horror as more than 20 Rela personnel rushed out of the trucks and started beating up the Indian nationals for no reason,” The Indian nationals were chased, kicked and beaten.