06-29-2008, 09:34 AM
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âMalaysia not right place to go for workâ
Staff Reporter
MADURAI: A seminar was jointly organised by Journalism for Development, Peopleâs Watch and Citizen for Human Rights Movement here on Thursday, the International Day against Torture. It focused on the condition of workers from Tamil Nadu, who went to Malaysia for making a better livelihood and instead suffered there like slaves.
Aarvalan of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal, who went to Malaysia on a one-man fact finding mission, said that Tamils had been vilified as anti-socials and were mostly victims in encounter deaths. The manpower agencies were giving deceptive promises of wage and other facilities. Legal assistance was much needed for migrant workers.
Arumugam of Pudukottai, who had returned from Malaysia, narrated his story. After spending around Rs. one lakh to get a job in the country, he landed up in a restaurant where the employers seized his passport and never paid his salary in time and the promised pay. He was made to stay in a room where 45 persons, who worked in shifts, stayed with him. He was beaten up frequently and tortured before he could finally escape to India.
Siva Somasundaram, social worker, who had returned from Malaysia, presented a slideshow of pictures of torture victims and asked forums to come forward to create awareness among the public and prevent them from migrating to Malaysia. Other speakers suggested that Malaysia was not the right place to go for work.
âMalaysia not right place to go for workâ
Staff Reporter
MADURAI: A seminar was jointly organised by Journalism for Development, Peopleâs Watch and Citizen for Human Rights Movement here on Thursday, the International Day against Torture. It focused on the condition of workers from Tamil Nadu, who went to Malaysia for making a better livelihood and instead suffered there like slaves.
Aarvalan of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal, who went to Malaysia on a one-man fact finding mission, said that Tamils had been vilified as anti-socials and were mostly victims in encounter deaths. The manpower agencies were giving deceptive promises of wage and other facilities. Legal assistance was much needed for migrant workers.
Arumugam of Pudukottai, who had returned from Malaysia, narrated his story. After spending around Rs. one lakh to get a job in the country, he landed up in a restaurant where the employers seized his passport and never paid his salary in time and the promised pay. He was made to stay in a room where 45 persons, who worked in shifts, stayed with him. He was beaten up frequently and tortured before he could finally escape to India.
Siva Somasundaram, social worker, who had returned from Malaysia, presented a slideshow of pictures of torture victims and asked forums to come forward to create awareness among the public and prevent them from migrating to Malaysia. Other speakers suggested that Malaysia was not the right place to go for work.