Many plantation workers in Perak, including foreigners, are being exploited and fleeced by estate managements who charge them exorbitant amounts for electricity and water supply.

Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) state coordinator M Sugumaran told Malaysiakini today that estates are charged industrial rates for both the supply of water and electricity.

According to him, Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) bills the estates on a monthly basis whereas the Perak Water Board (LAP) serves them with a bimonthly bill.

Sugumaran said the management could afford to charge domestic rates as the workers are occupying housing areas inside the estate but a recent survey painted a grim picture.

The survey of the working conditions of plantation workers in about 50 estates revealed that they are not only paid low wages but are also charged high electricity and water rates.

"The average gross daily salary for a plantation worker is RM21.10, inclusive of other benefits and allowances. The management deducts RM50 per person per month for utilities.

"There are about five to six foreign workers sharing a room and RM50 is deducted as electricity charges in their salary slips," a shocked Sugumaran said.

"You mean to say that the electricity charge for a room in an estate comes to about RM300 monthly?" he asked.

Worker's monthly salary of RM145

Earlier at a press conference, Sugumaran brought 15 plantation workers from Sungai Siput and Bagan Serai and displayed their monthly pay slips to disprove a claim made recently.

Plantation Industries and bernard dompok 230109Commodities Minister Bernard Dompok (left) had stated in Parliament that rubber tappers earn RM870 monthly while plantation workers earn RM1,700.

Sugumaran welcomed the threat by Dompok to sue PSM for refuting his claims and calling him a liar as PSM have documentary evidence to prove the minister wrong.

"Dompok, instead of making statements in the comfort of Parliament, should come down and see the harsh realities of the sufferings of the plantation workers," said Sugumaran.

Salleh Saari, 44, a plantation worker with eight children from Ladang Gedong in Bagan Serai, provided the press copies of his September and October 2009 salary slips.

His September 2009 salary slip showed that his net take home pay was a mere RM145.94. His gross earning was RM543.36 while his total deductions came to RM397.42.

Deductions were for his two-room estate home, water bill amounting to RM23.40 and electricity at RM85.27.

For October 2009, Salleh had to pay RM35 for water charges and RM93 for electricity usage. "Even a bungalow utilities charges would not be as high as mine," said Salleh.

His gross October salary was RM381 and his net income after deductions showed RM181.

"How am I to feed my family of eight children? " he asked, bursting into tears.