After months of fighting for his wages, Nepali worker Mangal Bahadur Gurung finally received his dues today when his employer handed him a cash settlement of RM13,000.

"I am very, very, very happy," exclaimed the elated Nepali worker after his former employer, restaurant owner Noorul Hassan Sahul, made the payment to cover wages owed for 13 months and other allowances .

The Subang Jaya labour office, which had mediated the dispute, had given both parties 24 hours from yesterday to decide whether the quantum it proposed was acceptable to them.

The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) and migrant labour rights group Tenaganita have been assisting Mangal, 30, to pursue his claims. A Malaysian who only wants to be known as George has been helping him financially ever since he left his job in the restaurant last year.

Contacted at the Tenaganita office in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon, Mangal said via a translator that the first thing he was going to do with the money was to buy a air ticket to Kathmandu, so that he can return to his home in the Gorkha district.

He said he would make a donation to help Tenaganita with its advocacy work on the rights of his fellow migrant workers in Malaysia.

Its officer, Florida Sandanasamy, pledged assistance to Mangal to buy his ticket within the next two weeks and to transfer the balance of the cash to his family in Nepal. His permit to remain in Malaysia expires on July 10.

Grateful to all

While Mangal also said he wants to buy George a gift, the latter was firm in refusing this on the spot.

"I swear, I will not take anything from Mangal. I did this to help him as he is my friend. He should keep the money as savings for himself and his family," George said ( right in photo, face pixelised ).

He said he and Mangal were grateful to MTUC - which had handled the labour case free of charge - as well as to the public and the media for their support.

"Our happiness and gratitude is inexpressible," said George, adding that he will visit Nepal once Mangal has settled in and spent time with his family.

Mangal, 30, speaks little English and even less Bahasa Malaysia. This was one reason why his plea of innocence to a charge of illegal entry was not heeded by the Petaling Jaya Magistrates Court in March after he was caught in an immigration dragnet for illegal immigrants.

The father of two was detained by immigration officers during a raid after he could only produce a photocopy of his passport, as the original was being held by his former employer.

In May, after he had spent 51 days in jail and received a stroke of the rotan, his conviction was set aside on appeal by High Court Judicial Commissioner Zaharah Ibrahim.

Appropriate measure

Tenaganita executive director Irene Fernandez lauded the labour department's efficiency in handling the case.

"This is also a victory for the labour movement. I was not surprised with the outcome. The labour office moved fast. The fact that the MTUC came forward to get involved was extremely helpful," she said when contacted.

"It's an important turning point in the collaboration between the trades union and NGOs in the labour movement."

She said MTUC's move to ensure that the employer paid Mangal in cash was appropriate, especially for a migrant worker with no bank account, and to avoid problems associated with bounced cheques

Fernandez urged labour offices nationwide to emulate the efficiency of the Subang Jaya office, saying that a lot could be achieved if there is enough political will and commitment to resolving the problems of migrant workers.

"Furthermore, this is a good lesson for employers who think they can deny the rights of workers, particularly in wage and overtime payments. People work for 12 hours but are not paid overtime."

"Employers should recognise overtime payments especially for restaurant workers," she said.

She added that Tenaganita is receiving more complaints from restaurant workers against unfair employers.