We have been cheated, say Chinese women

Sticky situation: Zhu (right) and Qiu showing their certificates as Chinese medicine practitioners. Lim is holding their graduation card.

Source: http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/10/31/central/5012297&sec=central (By PRIYA MENON, 31/10/2009)

Two young Chinese nationals from Shandong, China, were lured to Malaysia with the promise of a better future and huge salary working as Chinese traditional medicine practitioners. But little did the two unsuspecting women know that their job would include massaging people’s feet at a reflexology outlet. They were promised by agents from both China and Malaysia a basic salary of RM1,800, including coverage of medical bills by the company. “We were told to pay RMB 18,000 (RM9,000) for the purpose of getting legal documents including work permits and a visa but that time we only paid RMB 5,000 (RM2,500),” said one of the victim Zhu Xinhong, 24. The rest of the money was supposed to be deducted from their salaries once they started working in Malaysia. They arrived in Kuala Lumpur on April 30 and started work on May 1 at the company’s outlet in Bandar Bukit Tinggi, Klang. According to their contract, food expenses for the first three months would be covered by the employer and now the women are finding it difficult to make ends meet. “They do not give us a fixed salary, sometimes they pay us RM1,400 and sometimes RM500 a month but they have not got us legitimate work papers,” said another victim Qiu Meijuan, 24.

Unable to stomach the problems any longer, the women sought the help of Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng who held a press conference yesterday. Lim said both women entered the country using tourist visas which expired in June. But they cannot go home as the employer is holding their passports. Both the workers who appealed to the Chinese Embassy were told to surrender themselves at the Immigration Department due to the visa expiry date. “If they were to surrender, they would be locked up for an indefinite period. But, if they can buy their own flight tickets then they will be escorted to KLIA immediately,” added Lim. In order for Qiu and Zhu to return home, they want their employer to pay for the air fare, give them the balance of their salary and return their passports. “There are four other Chinese nationals with us in Bukit Tinggi suffering the same fate,” added Zhu.

Under section 12 (1) (f) of the Passports Act 1966, any person without lawful authority having in his possession a passport belonging to another, the person can be liable to a fine not exceeding RM10,000 or five years’ jail or both. The same fine is applicable for those who have exceeded their visa or permit in Malaysia under Section 15 of the Immigration Act 1959/63. “I will discuss this issue with the employer. They were supposed to get back to me last Tuesday but they have failed to do so,” added Lim.
However, later in the day, a man claiming to be the owner of the chain of outlets visited Lim at his service centre. He claimed that both the women were troublemakers and the management had caught them doing illegal activities at the centre. “So we took disciplinary action by cutting their salaries,” he said. The man added that he did not have the women’s passports. He said an agent who is now getting work permits for them was holding on to them. “But that does not change the fact the women were brought in with tourists visas and the visas have expired, thus making it illegal,” Lim said.