Kuala Lumpur: An Indian national working for a Malaysian company here has filed a police case against his employer alleging that the company has been forcing him to pay a higher levy, failing which he could be sacked.

Chakram Venkat Ramana, who is from Nirmal near Hyderabad, alleged that his employer, a top retailer, wanted him to pay US $ 480 (1,800 ringett) as levy while his three-year work contract stated that he had to pay US $ 320 (1,200 ringett) as levy, a media report said here on Saturday.

The worker said he had also approached the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia and it referred his case to the Malaysian Trade Union Congress.

Chakram, who started working in November last year, claimed he had already paid US $ 106 (400 ringett) as levy and his employer wanted him to pay a further US $ 480.

"Last Thursday, my boss called me and ordered me to sign a blank paper and pay the 1,800 ringett (US $ 480) or else he would send me home on January 25," he told the afternoon daily Malay Mail adding that trouble began when he approached his employer to know about the levy.

Levy is being paid by the employer in advance to the government and is subsequently deducted from the worker's salary.

Every week at least 20 unhappy workers camp outside the gates of the Indian High Commission here, demanding the High Commission officials to send them back to India.

"Once here, they realise things are not so simple. Some are ill-treated by the employers while others do not like the jobs and want to go back," an official said. - PTI

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