KUALA LUMPUR: The Labour Department has opened an investigation into the employer of Safiudeen Pakkeer Mohamed, whose plight drew national outrage after a video of him being kicked and hosed down went viral last week.
Labour Department deputy director-general (Operations) Betty Hasan said enforcement officers from its headquarters and the Selangor special task force acted immediately after receiving reports that the 39-year-old Indian national had been evicted from his accommodation and left with unpaid wages.
She said the department held discussions with Safiudeen’s former employer during a meeting at the High Commission of India yesterday, which resulted in a full settlement of his outstanding dues.
“As a result of the discussions, the employer paid the worker his outstanding wages and also bore the cost of his flight ticket to return to his home country,” she said.
Betty said the department will now be pursuing enforcement action on the employer.
“We have opened an investigation paper under the Employment Act 1955 and the Minimum Standards of Housing, Accommodation and Employee Facilities Act 1990 (Act 446),” she added.
The Employment Act outlines minimum standards for wages, working hours, leave entitlements and workplace safety, while Act 446 governs the requirements employers must meet when providing accommodation and facilities for workers.
Safiudeen, who arrived in Malaysia in March last year to work as a cook at a restaurant in Sri Gombak, had alleged that his employer withheld his passport from the day he landed and repeatedly delayed his wages, leaving him unable to support his family or seek new work.
Unable to earn an income for the past six months and without any identification, he eventually became homeless and was forced to sleep outside a bank in Taman Maluri, until humanitarian volunteer and Food4U founder Anthony Lian, known as Uncle Tony, stepped in to help after the video of his mistreatment went viral.
Yesterday, the New Straits Times reported that Safiudeen’s passport and travel documents were returned during a meeting at the High Commission that was attended by Safiudeen, Lian, mission officials, Persatuan Pengusaha Restoran Muslim Malaysia (Presma), Persatuan Pengusaha Restoran India Malaysia (Primas) and representatives of his former employer.
Safiudeen’s story triggered an outpouring of sympathy nationwide.
Safiudeen is expected to be flying home to Tamil Nadu, India tonight.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
