Photo: A video of Safiudeen went viral on social media.

KUALA LUMPUR - According to the Free Malaysia Today (FMT), Safiudeen Pakkeer Mohamed, a 39 year old migrant worker from Tamil Nadu, India, is set to return home on Tuesday (2 December) after being humiliated for sleeping outside a bank in Kuala Lumpur.

The incident, which went viral on social media, showed a security guard spraying him with water while another man kicked him, threw his belongings, and splashed him again.

Tony Lian, founder of two homeless shelters, said Safiudeen is currently staying at a shelter run by the Indian high commission in Kuala Lumpur.

“His flight is tomorrow night (2 Dec),” Lian said.

Authorities from the labour department and police interviewed Safiudeen earlier today to investigate the incident and his employment situation.

After the inquiry, Safiudeen was taken to the Indian high commission to meet with his employer and officials.

“I met with the employer and the commission’s officers. At the meeting, the employer agreed to amicably settle Safiudeen’s unpaid salary and buy him a ticket home,” Lian said.

FMT has reached out to the labour department to confirm whether the employer will face any legal action.

Safiudeen had arrived in Malaysia in March last year seeking a better life and worked as a cook at a restaurant in Sri Gombak, earning a modest wage.

He claimed his employer had withheld his passport and wages, sometimes for months, preventing him from sending money to his family or seeking other work.

Safiudeen said he wanted to resign, but his employer refused to release him, keeping his passport and restricting his freedom.

Lian and a small group of volunteers have raised funds to help Safiudeen rebuild his life once he returns to India.

“We have raised and donated the money, and it will go (to him) through the high commission. They will send the money to him,” Lian said, adding that he will stay in touch with Safiudeen’s wife.

The case has drawn public attention to the vulnerability of migrant workers in Malaysia, particularly those who face abuse, wage withholding, and unsafe living conditions.

This incident highlights the ongoing challenges migrant workers face abroad, including exploitation and the need for stronger enforcement of labour protections.