Indonesians injured in fight in Penang

Indonesians injured in fight in Penang

MALAYSIA: A fight between rival migrant laborers from
Indonesia injured dozens and left ten hospitalized in northern
Malaysia, a police official said on Thursday.

The brawl erupted when a group of 40 workers from the
Indonesian province of Aceh confronted three workers of Javanese
origin at a construction site hostel in Penang state, following
an earlier tiff over a relationship between a woman from one
group and a man from the other.

Penang state Criminal Investigations Department Chief Syed
Ismail Syed Azizan said ten Javanese have been hospitalized with
serious injuries and dozens of others were treated for minor
injuries during the fight early on Wednesday morning.

"The argument started on Tuesday, between three Javanese men
and two Acehnese, because they were not happy about one of the
Aceh guys having an affair with a Java lady," Syed Ismail said.
"The construction management sorted it out, but it's clear the
group wasn't satisfied."

Syed Ismail said police had detained two men to assist
investigations. He could not say what punishment the culprits
faced.

Malaysia is one of Southeast Asia's wealthiest countries and a
magnet for migrant workers from neighboring nations, especially
Indonesia, and relies heavily on them for menial tasks in
construction and other labor-intensive industries. -- AP