Jailed Jalandhar man returns home from Malaysia

With the efforts of Rajya Sabha MP Balbir Singh Seechewal, a young man from Punjab who had been trapped in Malaysia, has safely returned home.

Daljit Singh, a resident of Nasirpur village (Jalandhar), shared that many Punjabi youths have been languishing in Malaysian jails for years. Many of them have even forgotten their parents’ contact details and are unable to reach out to their families.

Daljit recounted that he had gone to Malaysia on a tourist visa in 2018. Despite working there for years, he was neither paid his wages, nor given justice. After being cheated by his employers, he was arrested by the police and sent to jail.

Recalling the painful memories of his time in jail, Daljit said the conditions were horrific there. “Around 70 to 80 people were kept in a small cell where even breathing became difficult.” He revealed that the food provided was of extremely poor quality and even after returning home, he continues to face health issues because of it.

He added that in the jail, they longed just to breathe in the open air. Daljit’s family members said when he was first detained, they were told he would be back within five months.

However, after seven to eight months passed without any information, they approached Seechewal for help. With his intervention, Daljit finally returned to India safely on October 31.

The family expressed gratitude, saying that without Seechewal’s help, Daljit’s fate might have been the same as that of other youths still trapped there.

Daljit urged the youth not to go abroad on tourist visas with the hope of finding work, calling it a huge risk. He explained that those working on tourist visas face the worst exploitation overseas, as they have no legal protection or support.

Seechewal thanked the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy for their assistance in the matter.

He appealed to the youth to always choose legal and safe means when going abroad, warning that using illegal routes is equivalent to putting one’s life in danger.