Defrauded labourers return from Malaysia ( 2004-01-19 22:54) (China Daily By Xin Dingding)
A group of 141 illegal Chinese labourers left Malaysia for Fuzhouin East
China Monday to be reunited with their families before the traditional Chinese
new year.
The labourers, mostly from Jiangsu, Shandong, Henan and Heilongjiang
provinces, have been cheated by illegal agencies at home and in Malaysia who had
promised to arrange work for them in Malaysia. The men had all been promised a
considerable income.
Ning Jun with visa department of the Chinese Embassy in Malaysia, who saw the
workers off Monday, told China Daily via phone the embassy had sent at least
1,200 such Chinese since last May.
"Things are really getting worse with this situation,'' he said.
Monday, the Beijing Daily Messenger reported that 50 Chinese workers from
rural areas of Jiangsu and Henan provinces were wondering the streets without
shelter or money.
They had paid 30,000 to 40,000 yuan (US$3,600 to 4,800) each to illegal
intermediary agencies in China who had arranged for them to go to Malaysia with
tourist visas and promised them a daily income of 1,800 yuan (US$217), the
report said.
They supposed to go to work at construction sites and had their passports
taken by their employers. After nearly 20 days, they found out they not only
earned little money, but faced possible punishment if caught by police, since
local laws ban people from working without a permit in Malaysia.
They had no way out, and left their construction site and began wondering
around.
When asked to confirm the dire situation, witnesses to the workers' plight
Ning Jun and his colleague Xuan Xuguo answered they could not confirm the cases
unless accurate names were given, because "too many Chinese have been cheated
and turned in to the embassy recently.''
"There are too many of the workers. We gave away the lobby and backyard of
our office building at night for them to sleep, and we sought help from local
Chinese who willingly provided food for them,'' said Ning.
Xuan wished to call attention through the media that stricter measures should
be taken to prevent such fraud.
The governments of China and Malaysia have discussed ways of introducing
skilled Chinese labourers to travel to Malaysia.
The Messenger reports that 18 Chinese intermediary agencies will be assigned
to introduce Chinese workers to Malaysia, provide training and guarantee the
workers' quality.
It is expected that the first batch of Chinese labourers will arrive in April
or May to work in construction and manufacturing.
