Nepali Mangal Bahadur Gurung has demanded an apology and compensation from the Malaysian government for wrongfully jailing and caning him, or be prepared to face a legal suit.

He told a press conference organised in Kuala Lumpur today by labour rights group Tenaganita that he had suffered in jail and is still traumatised by the incident.

"Despite being informed that I had legal status (as a migrant worker), the Malaysian government still imprisoned me. I still have nightmares of my time in jail and the caning ," he said through a Nepali translator.

"The apology and compensation will relieve my suffering. It is not a matter of money but of justice. The amount of compensation is up to the government."

Mangal was sentenced to 10 months' jail and one stroke of the rotan for not being in possession of documents required of migrant workers in Malaysia. He was released on appeal after 51 days, but had been caned by then.

At the time of his arrest in March under an immigration round-up, his passport was being held by his former employer, but Mangal had produced copies of the travel document and work permit.

"I may consider action against my former employer for holding on to my passport when we requested it from him to pass it to the immigration authorities," he said.

He also said the RM13,000 he had received from his employer earlier was not compensation but backdated wages which he has earned through hard work.

'Stop wrongful arrests'

Supporting a Tenaganita campaign to take the government to task for its handling of migrant worker issues, Mangal said the arrests of those in possession of valid work and travel documents must end.

"The arresting officers don't listen to us when we're arrested. This happens to many others...from Nepal, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka...I want employers and the government to listen to the campaign so that what happened to me won't happen to any one else," he said.

Tenaganita launched its 'three-month intensive campaign' today in a bid to bring accountability and transparency to the authorities' handling of migrant rights.

The campaign will focus on calls for disciplinary action against immigration officers who wrongfully arrest and charge migrant workers who hold valid papers.

It also urges institutional reform, review of "harsh" immigration laws and a study of the foreign labour recruitment system.

Tenaganita executive director Irene Fernandez said the authorities should enforce laws consistently, pointing out that they have not acted against employers who hold their foreign workers' papers.

Mangal, who is expected to leave for Kathmandu in a few days, helped launch the campaign by sending the first mass 'urgent action' e-mail calling for the release of an Indian migrant worker who has allegedly been wrongfully arrested.