Remains of Pakistani worker in wage dispute to be sent back Friday

 

The remains of a Pakistan worker, Shahzad Ahmed, who allegedly took his own life after suffering five months of unpaid wages from his employer, would be sent back this Friday, said the Pakistan High Commission.

“The backdated wages and goodwill support is being provided by the company to the family of the deceased.

“The body will be transported to Pakistan on April 30, 2021,” Amna Baloch, the high commissioner of Pakistan in Malaysia, told Malaysiakini when contacted.

She also confirmed that the company would bear the cost of sending the body back to Pakistan.

“The High Commission always ensures the welfare of its workers and the Community Welfare Office exclusively deals with such matters,” Baloch said when asked if the Pakistan Embassy would raise this issue with the Malaysian government.

On Monday, Malaysiakini reported that Shahzad was found dead at a site along Jalan Ampang on April 17, after apparently taking his own life.

Prior to his death, the 30-year-old Pakistani national posted videos on the social media platform TikTok, where he accused his employer of failing to pay him his salary for five months.

Wangsa Maju police chief Ashari Abu Samah said investigations showed that the company did not pay the documented worker from December 2020 to April 2021 due to financial problems during the movement control order.

Radha Krishnan, the chief executive officer of the company, Landseal Sdn Bhd, had told Malaysiakini that the company would bear the cost to ship his remains to Pakistan and provide a goodwill payment to his family.

The Labour Department is currently investigating this case under the Employment Act 1995. A department officer said such investigations are usually completed within a week. - Mkini