India seeks Malaysis's help to protect Indian Workers

New York:  India is seeking the assistance of the Malaysian government to protect the interests of its nationals in Malaysia, an Indian government official said.

India's Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs, Vayalar Ravi, whose portfolio was created to help address the needs of the Indian diaspora worldwide, said that reports about the treatment of some Indian visitors and workers in Malaysia were "very disturbing".

In recent months, there have been a number of reports of Indian nationals being allegedly ill-treated by their employers such as being subjected to poor living conditions and paid lower than promised wages.

"We've asked the Malaysian government for assistance in respecting the rights of Indian workers and visitors in Malaysia.

"I had personally discussed the issue with Malaysian government representatives in the past," Ravi told Bernama here Thursday. Saying that he was "deeply concerned" over the situation of some Indian nationals in Malaysia, he added that the Malaysian government had agreed to hold formal talks on devising ways and means of protecting the interests of Indian nationals in Malaysia.

"I've been told that the Malaysian government is planning to set up a special office in Chennai that will look into questions pertaining to the rights of Indian nationals working in Malaysia," he added.