At least 134 Indian nationals, lured to Malaysia by false promises of agents, are camping outside the Indian High Commission here for the past few days after fleeing from their employers who allegedly ill-treated them.
Clutching suitcases with all their possessions including a few electronic goods, two batches of workers from an electronics firm and 47 persons from a garment factory in Johor Baru have left their employers and have sought help of the Indian High Commission here to send them back.
Another batch of 28 workers from several work places have also fled their employers.
All of them have complained of being cheated by the job agents who lured them with promises of high-paying executive jobs.
In reality, most of them ended up working long hours, up to 18 hours a day, and very low pay.
"I was promised an office job and a salary of 1200 ringett (about 14000 rupees) but ended up carrying gunny sacks at a supermarket with a salary of 300 ringett only," Murugan from Tamil Nadu told PTI.
"We have called their agents and are doing our best to ensure that they are sent back to India," an Indian High Commission official said.
{{/usCountry}}"We have called their agents and are doing our best to ensure that they are sent back to India," an Indian High Commission official said.
{{/usCountry}}He said most of them would be able to leave for India by Thursday.
A batch of 47 workers are camping at the Batu Caves, the Hindu shrine where the world's tallest Lord Murugan Statue in located. A sympathetic Chinese family has taken it on themselves to feed the homeless workers camping outside the High Commission building.