Malay Mail 23 rd February 2006

400 left in the lurch by firm

A group of about 400 Indian nationals claimed they were brought to Malaysia in batches last year by a company that was contracted to provide workers for an electronics factory in Pasir Gudang, Johore.

“For the first two months, everything was all right as we were given jobs and received our salary. However, on the third month, we were told by the company that there was no more work”. The company did not give any reason for the sudden development. Yesterday, 35 other Indian nationals from the group went to the Indian High Commission in Jalan Duta to ask for help in settling the matter.

“We came to seek help from the High Commission. We want the company to return our passport and pay us the rest of our salary along with the levies that we paid to come into Malaysia. The group decided to go to the High Commission as some of them wanted to go home.

“Previously when we said anything about coming here, officials from the company would promise that jobs would be available within a week. This happened a few times, but we still have no jobs, and the workers are not staying at a hostel provided by the company. 18 of the workers were sent home when the company lodged a police report accusing them of being trouble makers. The group arrived at the High Commission at 11.15 am but only managed to meet officials there at 4.30pm. It was report that the officials promised to try and resolve the matter by the next day.

The group is camping in front of the High Commission as they have nowhere else to go. They said:

“We will stay here until the matter is resolved. We are not going back to Pasir Gudang.

Malay Mail February 27 th, 2006

“Solve our woes and we’ll go”

The 171 Indian Nationals who have been camping in front of the Indian High Commission in Jalan Duta since last week are staying put until their problems are resolved. It is reported that they will not budge until High Commission officials help them get their passports and salaries from the company they had been working in Pasir Gudang, Johore for the past four months.

“Since we arrived here five days ago, nobody from the High Commission has offered us help. The officials have promised to resolve our problem as soon as possible, but nothing is being done, he told.

He said High Commission officials have ignored them and left them to fend for themselves. “We have not showered as there is no toilet here. We were also denied the use of the High Commission’s rest room. We turned drains and some trees around here into “toilets” said Syed, who is from Chennai, India.

“We only eat when people give us food and mineral water, otherwise, we starve as we don’t have any money, “ It was reported last Feb 23 that a group of Indian nationals had camped in front of the High Commission as they had nowhere else to go, claiming they were duped by agents. They also claimed that they were brought into Malaysia in batches last year by a company that was contracted to provide workers for an electronics factory in Pasir Gudang.They were left unemployed in the third month without any reason. They company also did not pay the rest of their salaries along with the levies that they paid before entering the country. Meanwhile, another group of 51 Indian nat