Some 800 Bangladeshi nationals who came to Malaysia last January to work in a garment factory will now be deported back with their dreams shattered.

The workers were promised employment by Maxlin Garment in Batu Pahat, Johor. They were to receive a salary of RM1,200 and lodging was also promised.

However, when they arrived here, the scenario was different.

The workers were only paid between RM200 and RM300 a month and were stuffed into small houses in large numbers.

Contacted today, a senior immigration officer, who declined to be named, said the department is currently waiting for the factory to return the workers' passports.

Following this, he said the department will invalidate their work permits and arrange for their return home.

"All this will take at least 10 days to complete," added the officer.

Yesterday, the New Straits Times reported that immigration director-general Wahid Md Don had given the workers the option to either continue working with the factory or leave.

He promised the workers that if they chose to work, they would be given their full salary and better accommodation although the process might be time consuming.

Wahid reportedly told the workers this after meeting their representatives. Also present were representatives from the Bangladeshi High Commission, Human Resources Ministry and the police.

However, the senior immigration officer told Malaysiakini today that all the workers have expressed their desire to return home.

Why do they want to leave?

The workers' decision has puzzled certain quarters.

"These workers paid RM12,000 to their agents to get jobs here, and if it is true that they were promised full salaries if they continued working here, why wouldn't they want to stay?" asked a coordinator with Tenaganita, a migrant labour NGO.

The coordinator, who requested anonymity, said that these workers had been exploited by their agents who charged them RM12,000 when the normal rate is RM5,000.

Migrant workers who seek employment in this country usually go through agents in their country who liaise with Malaysian agents, designated by local companies in need of workers to arrange for recruitment and work permit applications.

Last Monday, the 800 Bangladeshi workers boarded 27 buses from Johor to Kuala Lumpur to meet with officials from their high commission.

The police, however, diverted the buses to Stadium Merdeka where negotiations between them and the authorities took place.

They were then sent to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport depot where they will wait to be sent home.

Officials from the Human Resources Ministry and Maxlin Garment could not be reached for comment.