Malaysia has arrested 40 workers from Indonesia and Vietnam following a clash that left five injured in southern Negri Sembilan state, local media reported today.

Initial investigations revealed that the brawl broke out among glove factory workers after an argument between an Indonesian and a Vietnamese over an Indonesian woman, police spokesman Mazlan Othman said.

The Indonesian had slapped the Vietnamese worker, he said.

The Indonesian and eight others were on their way back to their hostels when they were attacked by a group of Vietnamese workers.

"They were walking towards their hostels when 29 Vietnamese, armed with iron rods and sticks, attacked them, resulting in a free-for-all," Mazlan was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times .

Compulsory segregation

Four Indonesians were injured while a Vietnamese suffered cuts on his hand and body.

Police immediately rushed to the scene and rounded up the Vietnamese workers and 19 Indonesians, he said.

Last month, two separate brawls erupted in the state in which some 66 foreign factory workers of various nationalities were arrested and at least five hospitalised.

That led Malaysia to announce compulsory segregation of migrants of different nationalities working at factories in the country.

Malaysia relies heavily on foreign labour but expelled some 468,000 illegal immigrants during a four-month amnesty period last year. - AFP