Instead of landing their dream jobs in Malaysia as promised by a recruitment agency in India, several Indian nationals claimed to have experienced a nightmare in the country.

Told that they would receive between RM1,500 - RM1,800 in wages at a glove factory in Kajang, Selangor, housed in air-conditioned rooms and provided with medical and food allowance, they paid up to RM8,500 for the work permits.

Speaking at the malaysiakini office yesterday, four of the workers talked of selling off their possessions and borrowing from family and friends in order to pay the agency.

Lijo Joseph 27, said he old off his sundry business and used the proceeds to pay the recruiter.

Upon arriving in October last year at the Laglove factory in Kajang, the workers claimed that the wages that landed in their hands after the various deductions was RM336, and that they were crammed in stuffy hot containers, and made to work 12-hour workdays.

They also alleged that there were only 10 toilets for the glove-producing factory population of 380, meal times were mad rushes of 15 minutes, and plates and cups had to be shared between groups of three or four people as there were not enough to go around for every single worker.

"There were lines for the toilets, there were lines for the food, and there were lines to drink water," claimed 32-year old Johney Chinnappa Sakri.

Less than two months into their jobs, the workers protested to the Laglove management about their situation. Some, henceforth, refused to work any further and left.

Among those who returned to India was Lawrence John from Aluva who spoke of the "hell" he experienced in Malaysia to India's Express News Service in a July 26 report.

"No one else should experience this hell. The police should close down the (recruitment) agency," he was quoted as saying.

Keen to return home

After several months of scratching through a living by working illegally in odd jobs, the four workers' only wish now is for the company to hand back their passports and give them their flight tickets to return to their native Kerala.

Head of Consumers' Association of Subang and Shah Alam Dr Jacob George, who is assisting them, said he was surprised by the relatively 'established' nature of the recruitment agency and factory concerned.

"We usually hear such stories involving shady recruiting agents and small companies. In this case, it's neither. Now, all these workers want is to go home," said George. The local agent facilitating the recruitment could not be reached for a response.

When contacted, Laglove's human resources manager S Thavanesan said the workers' grievances pertaining to their wages and other disappointments were a matter between them and their recruiter.

"Back in India, these workers may have been promised by the agent wages of anywhere between RM1,500 to RM2,200, and in that sense they may have perhaps been cheated. I wouldn't know," said Thavanesan.

"But as for their salaries, it is not true that they received such small amounts. None of the workers in the factory receive less than RM900 monthly," he added. He noted, however, that deductions are made from the workers wages depending on the terms agreed upon in their contracts.

He also said allegations about the work conditions were either exaggerated or simply not true.

"Perhaps they may have been uncomfortable in the first few weeks in the cabins we provided, but that's because they had arrived in one large group for whom the accommodations were (temporarily) insufficient," he said.

"We have two-storey hostels where the factory workers live. You can come to the factory and see for yourself," he added.

'Others are happy here'

Thavanesan also said the workers, from an original group of 32, should have been patient for a little while longer. Twenty had returned to India, while the others left the company to seek work illegally elsewhere.

"There were those who came back, apologised and asked to be rehired. Some are now even working in my office as assistants. If things are so bad, why is it that the rest of the factory workers who are from India and Nepal have worked here for not less than five years?" asked Thavanesan.

Thavanesan said further that he was holding on to the passports, but would surrender them to the Indian nationals as soon as they showed him their flight tickets back to India.

"We're not going to buy them the tickets back. In the agreement, return flight tickets are given to those who have worked with the factory for three years or more.

"How can we buy them the tickets back when they haven't worked for us for more than a month?" he added, saying he needed to see the flight tickets so that he can cancel their work permits.

George said he is trying to arrange a meeting with the Home Ministry and the Immigration Department to seek their intervention in the matter and to lodge a complaint regarding what he described as lack of cooperation from officials at the Indian High Commission.