Malaysian rubber glove manufacturer Top Glove Corporation Bhd is a leading international brand, but a recent labour complaint indicates that conditions at its Meru plant may paint a different picture.

According to a complaint that has led to a Labour Department case, set for later this month, the company locks up its workers when disciplinary complaints are made, in conditions reminiscent of sweatshops and labour camps.

A police report by a worker’s relative on the matter led police to raid a so-called ‘lock-up’, where ‘problematic workers’ were held, on Feb 11 to free an Indian national detained against his will there for five days.

His relative, Robert Chelliah, who is an Australian citizen, said the area where Dhanusuvel Nadesan (Dhanush) was held was akin to a prison and that he was initially stopped from entering by “Top Glove’s auxiliary police”.

Chelliah, who has business dealings in Malaysia, lodged a police report and returned to the detention centre with police, who have opened an investigation paper on the matter.

Chelliah’s parents hail from the same village in India, and their relatives contacted him after hearing of Dhanush’s detention from his colleagues.

Dhanush, who works in the safety and quality control section and has been an employee of Top Glove for nine years, was said to be detained after a run-in with another worker who did not wear a safety helmet.

When contacted, Dhanush said the female worker purportedly pushed a camera he was using to take a picture of her without a helmet, and his hand knocked her face.

However, Top Glove, in a brief email to Malaysiakini said that Dhanush had “repeatedly assaulted” his co-worker.

“Mr Dhanush is a problematic worker who was involved in repeatedly assaulting a co-worker in the presence of other witnesses. The assaulted worker has since lodged a police report,” the email says.

The public-listed company declined to comment on allegations of unlawful detention as the matter is under police investigation.

ATM card and PIN code forcibly taken

According to Dhanush, there was also a Nepali worker held at the same time but the Nepali had been there for 15 days.

Police documents sighted by Malaysiakini also note that the authorities have retrieved Dhanush’s ATM card, which was forcibly taken from him by Top Glove staff.

Dhanush claims that the card and PIN number were taken from him in order to pay for his food while being locked up.

He claimed that Top Glove management told him that he would be beaten if he did not surrender his ATM card and PIN code.

While he was not assaulted, he claimed that other workers who had been locked up have been “hit with batons”.

His case is up for hearing at the Labour Department on March 20, and he has obtained a special pass to remain in Malaysia until then. His work permit has been cancelled by Top Glove.

Migrant workers’ rights NGO Tenaganita’s Aegile Fernandez said the complaint was filed under Section 20 of the Labour Act for unlawful dismissal, as Dhanush was contracted to work for another year.

Aegile said while there have been complaints on the non-renewal of Top Glove workers’ permits, this is the first case handled by Tenaganita where a factory has “lock-ups cells” to detain workers.

“Can you imagine having their own police inside the factory to control the workers? It is against labour rights and is wrongful detention,” she said.