The Indian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur was besieged - not for the first time - by 123 nationals who claimed foul play by Malaysian companies that hire Indians and end up allegedly not paying wages, abusing workers and withholding passports.

Having staged their first sleep-in outside the mission last Wednesday, the workers today returned to persuade the high commissioner to expedite the securing of their passports, unpaid wages and return trip to India.

They are no longer working for their Johor Bharu-based employers - Local Assembly Sdn Bhd and Local Technics Sdn Bhd - who are said to be holding their passports.

The mission has been housing the workers at the Madras Caf and Tropicana Hotel in Sentul with the help of an appointed agent, Zanat Power Technology Sdn Bhd.

However, the workers are now unhappy with Zanat Power's general manager, Kamarudeen Peermohamed, who they said had verbally abused them and tried to influenced them to return to their former employer.

"He threatened to hit us when we asked him what was happening to our case and when we insisted on going to the high commission to enquire about the status. He also tried to split us up by talking some of us into returning to work for the old company," claimed spokesperson S Mottaisamy, 30.

"Our former bosses have not paid us for seven months...(at the time, too) 40 of us were made to live in a small house with one room, one bathroom and a kitchen."

Cost borne by mission

Asked to comment on their allegations, Kamarudeen admitted to scolding the workers but said it was because they did not want to comply with the high commission's directive that only five representatives be allowed to travel to the mission to check on their status daily.

He denied trying to coax them to return to work for their employer saying he had nothing to gain from such a move.

Kamarudeen, a Malaysian, revealed that his company incurs RM3,000 in daily expenses to provide lodging and food for these workers. However, he also said the money will be reimbursed by the high commission.

"The high commission appointed us and gave me an authorisation letter to house them until they are sent back to India. They got my company because we did a similar thing a few months before (for 40 nationals allegedly abused by their employers)," said Kamarudeen.

Meanwhile, food brought to the workers by People's Progressive Party of Malaysia representatives was not consumed as the workers decided to resume a hunger strike they had staged at the start of their protest last week.

"Food is really not important to us and being dry isn't either. We want our unpaid wages as we have debts to settle in India," said P Sanjeev, 28, who was among those who waited outside the diplomatic mission in the rain for news today.

"We took loans to come to work here. Now we want to return because we have been treated badly and we want the world to know our plight."

The nationals had initially insisted last Wednesday on not eating or drinking until they secured their return, but shelved their hunger strike when moved to the hotel. They resumed the hunger strike this morning.

Tenaganita intervenes

Labour rights group Tenaganita became involved today after representatives of the nationals approached it to help resolve their predicament.

Programme officers Florida Sandanasamy and Glorene Dass accompanied by three lawyers on legal aid duty met with high commission representatives who encouraged the NGO to mediate with the nationals.

"According to the First Secretary (R V Ramanan), there has been some miscommunication. There are numerous parties involved now who are trying to help, but have caused confusion," Florida told reporters and the nationals after an hour-long meeting at the mission.

"Tenaganita has been asked to assist the high commission to secure the passports and the safe return of the workers. The mission has given its word to help them."

She encouraged the nationals to return to the hotel and wait while efforts are made to resolve the matter.

"This is a repeated problem . It has been going on for years. Tenaganita has highlighted this to the Malaysian government on numerous occasions. There must be a government-to-government recruitment process (in the future) to ensure there are no disputes over contracts," she added.

Indian High Commissioner to Malaysia RL Narayan said last Thursday that the mission had contacted the employers, but discovered that the mission had not been notified of the workers' employment - thereby affecting recognition of the contract.

The high commission conducted a meeting with lawyers representing the employer after the meeting with Tenaganita. The outcome is unknown.