Malaysia,
October 2 2005
NRI press
48 NRIs win case in Malaysia and court
order employer pay dues a total of 500,000 ringgit
($132,640) in damages for not paying them the promised
salary when they joined it, the New Strait Times reported
on Saturday.
Judge Augustine Paul of a court of appeals ruled
that the Penang-based company Chin Well Fasteners
Sdn Bhd should pay the damages because it had conceded
to have promised the workers salaries of 750 ringgit
($199) per month, but later, vide a fresh contract,
they were paid only 350 ringgit.
A lawsuit had been filed by Sampath Kumar Vellingiri
and 47 other Indian nationals after the company introduced
the fresh contract.
The newspaper said the workers were promised a higher
salary and other benefits by Chin Well's recruiting
agent Mithun Travels Pvt Ltd in India.
Hundreds of Indian nationals seeking work in Malaysia
are duped by agents who promise them a high salary
and benefits, which do not materialise when they arrive
here.
After a four-day trial, the company was ordered to
pay the workers the promised sum for a three-year
period from September 2002.
The workers would also be entitled to the benefits
mentioned in the original contract signed by Chin
Well.
