The former employer of hapless Nepali worker Mangal Bahadur Gurung has contested the quantum of back wages claimed, forcing yet another deferment of the hearing by the Subang Jaya labour office.

Mangal has filed a claim for RM6,400 as unpaid wages over 10 months.

However, restaurant owner Noorul Hassan Sahul said this morning that the amount was only RM3,625 after deducting RM1,525 for the levy and RM1,250 as salary already paid.

The labour office put off the hearing to June 13 to enable the parties concerned to work out the sum, and to make another attempt to secure the services of an interpreter since the Nepali speaks "very little" Bahasa Malaysia.

Mangal, 30, was accompanied by labour rights group Tenaganita executive director Irene Fernandez and Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) vice-president Mohd Khalid Atan.

Contacted today, Fernandez said she found the levy to be high and that the full claim - including overtime and other remuneration due - would be worked out by Tenaganita and MTUC, which are representing Mangal.

"We will also work something out with the Nepal embassy for an interpreter when we meet again in June," said Fernandez.

Mohd Khalid said the MTUC decided to take up Mangal's case since no other organisation was representing him.

Detained and canned

On March 23, Mangal had been sentenced by the Petaling Jaya magistrate's court to 10 months' jail and a stroke of the rotan after being rounded up in an immigration department crackdown on illegal immigrants March 6.

Mangal, who has a valid work permit, was released on May 12 after serving 51 days and being caned, when High Court Judicial Commissioner Zaharah Ibrahim set aside the conviction on appeal.

He had arrived in Malaysia over a year ago to work in Noorul Hassan's restaurant in Subang Jaya but left the job after he was not paid for several months, and lodged a complaint with the labour department.

As his passport and work permit were kept by the employer, he could not produce these during the immigration round-up.

Tenaganita has also criticised Noorul Hassan for not showing up on dates set previously for the hearing of the labour dispute.