Mangals hope to return home tomorrow dashed
Roshan JasonPublished: Jul 14, 2005 11:26 AM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 10:21 AM
After his horrific ordeal in Malaysia, Mangal Bahadur Gurung could not wait to board the plane that would take him back to his family tomorrow.
After his horrific ordeal in Malaysia, Mangal Bahadur Gurung could not wait to board the plane that would take him back to his family tomorrow.
However, his hope was dashed because the top brass at the Kuala Lumpur Immigration Department were not available to sign a vital document.
Now, the 31-year-old father of two, may have to wait for another week.
"My family is already upset that I was arrested and now they're impatiently waiting for me to head home," he said in broken Malay when met at the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) office in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon.
'Check-out memo'
His Malaysian friend, who wished to be identified only as George, explained why Mangal will not be able to leave despite having a valid ticket.
"I tried getting his 'check-out memo' signed by the (Kuala Lumpur) Immigration Department in Pusat Bandar Damansara this morning but the officers there refused to listen. They referred me to the headquarters in Putrajaya," he said.
According to the Immigration Department's website, a check-out memo is a document that the immigration requires employers to obtain before their foreign employees leave the country at the end of their employment.
Mangal had left his employer, who was said to be abusive and withheld salaries, last year and has been in the care of George since.
On being informed about the problem, labour rights group Tenaganita, who has been helping Mangal since his arrest in March, sent one of its legal-aid lawyers to the immigration headquarters.
However, the lawyer was told that the document could not be signed today.
"We were told that only the department's director and the deputy director were able to sign the document. Neither were available today," said Tenaganita executive director Irene Fernandez.
Leave as soon as possible
Asked why they waited till the very last minute to obtain the immigration document, George said since a valid ticket was needed for the department to approve the travel document, he had to wait till the travel date was confirmed.
"We've been trying to get a ticket to Kathmandu for two weeks now but all flights are full. This was the soonest date we got. Mangal wants to leave as soon as possible as he has been here for over two months already since his release," he added.
Mangal will now have to wait till next Wednesday, as George is trying to secure a flight then, for his return home.
This also depends on whether they will be able to obtain a check-out memo by then.
The Nepali was at the centre of controversy in May when his arrest and conviction by the Petaling Jaya magistrate's court - for illegal entry - was overturned by a higher court.
He was finally released - not before being whipped by authorities and jailed for almost three months - following pressure from the civil society.
He was at the human rights organisation's office today to accompany labour rights group Tenaganita in handing in a document calling on the commission to act on his unlawful arrest.
However, his hope was dashed because the top brass at the Kuala Lumpur Immigration Department were not available to sign a vital document.
Now, the 31-year-old father of two, may have to wait for another week.
"My family is already upset that I was arrested and now they're impatiently waiting for me to head home," he said in broken Malay when met at the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) office in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon. 'Check-out memo'
His Malaysian friend, who wished to be identified only as George, explained why Mangal will not be able to leave despite having a valid ticket.
"I tried getting his 'check-out memo' signed by the (Kuala Lumpur) Immigration Department in Pusat Bandar Damansara this morning but the officers there refused to listen. They referred me to the headquarters in Putrajaya," he said.
According to the Immigration Department's website, a check-out memo is a document that the immigration requires employers to obtain before their foreign employees leave the country at the end of their employment.
Mangal had left his employer, who was said to be abusive and withheld salaries, last year and has been in the care of George since.
On being informed about the problem, labour rights group Tenaganita, who has been helping Mangal since his arrest in March, sent one of its legal-aid lawyers to the immigration headquarters.
However, the lawyer was told that the document could not be signed today.
"We were told that only the department's director and the deputy director were able to sign the document. Neither were available today," said Tenaganita executive director Irene Fernandez. Leave as soon as possible
Asked why they waited till the very last minute to obtain the immigration document, George said since a valid ticket was needed for the department to approve the travel document, he had to wait till the travel date was confirmed.
"We've been trying to get a ticket to Kathmandu for two weeks now but all flights are full. This was the soonest date we got. Mangal wants to leave as soon as possible as he has been here for over two months already since his release," he added.
Mangal will now have to wait till next Wednesday, as George is trying to secure a flight then, for his return home.
This also depends on whether they will be able to obtain a check-out memo by then.
The Nepali was at the centre of controversy in May when his arrest and conviction by the Petaling Jaya magistrate's court - for illegal entry - was overturned by a higher court.
He was finally released - not before being whipped by authorities and jailed for almost three months - following pressure from the civil society.
He was at the human rights organisation's office today to accompany labour rights group Tenaganita in handing in a document calling on the commission to act on his unlawful arrest.
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