After 10 years of asking for better wages and living conditions of estate workers, the Plantation Community Support Committee has had enough. It would prefer that the government shuts down the plantation sector for good.

The committee is part of the Marginalised People's Network (Jerit), whose co-ordinator D Letchimi Devi said three generations of estate workers have not seen improvements that would have brought them into the mainstream of development.

"Since the government is unable to deal with basic issues of wages and housing, it may as well close down the whole plantation sector," she said after a peaceful gathering outside the Human Resources Ministry in Putrajaya today.

"We realise that the government clearly lacks the political will to do anything about the long-standing grievances."

About 500 workers from 20 estates in Perak, Kedah, Selangor and Negri Sembilan converged on the ministry at 10am to submit a memorandum outlining their demands for alternative housing, higher wages and better education, health and working conditions.

The 12-page memorandum, entitled Tutup Industri Perladangan (Close the Plantation Industry), was addressed to minister Dr Fong Chan Onn.

The crowd also shouted slogans like 'Stop 100-year Discrimination', 'Developed country, embarrassing wages', 'The mouth says Felda but the eyes are shut', 'Government neglects plantation workers', 'Government makes empty promises' and 'Plantation workers are slaves'.

A group of former workers from Ladang Kamiri and Changkat Salak held a banner that read: 'YB...Why don't you want to meet us?'

A banner addressed to plantation company Golden Hope read: 'Ladang Victoria workers, Kedah, demand housing, compensation of RM100 per year and basic amenities.'

Another addressed to Kumpulan Guthrie read: 'Workers made Guthrie rich. Where are the houses/lots for workers?'

Security was beefed up this morning. Apart from uniformed, plainclothes and traffic police officers, five riot police personnel were on standby at the ministry's entrance.

'Scrap studies'

Ministry secretary-general Dr Mohd Yahya Nordin came down on Fong's behalf and held a brief discussion with 20 community representatives over their demands.

Letchimi (left) said Jerit has exhausted all avenues in highlighting the problems of the plantation community, but that Yahya had assured them of progress in two months' time.

"We submitted a memorandum in April 2000 but Fong did not respond. We asked the minister to scrap all studies into the plantation sector. There are already too many of these, but no steps to overcome the problems identified.

"We have not received any response to the letters we sent to the ministry and relevant government agencies."

Letchimi said the ministry should rectify problems without delay whenever these relate to implementation.

Meeting soon

At a press conference, Mohd Yahya said a task force would be formed within two weeks to determine how best to address the workers' demands.

"I will chair the task force and we will arrange for an inter-departmental meeting within the next two weeks," he said.

"We will look into these demands but it will take some time because many other agencies are involved in the plantation sector."

He said he only learnt about the gathering through the Special Branch late yesterday evening.

On whether the task force would consider a policy review, he said this would depend on feedback from the agencies concerned.

"We will try to raise the matter in the cabinet after the inter-agency consultation. We have a policy review committee that can look into this possibility," he said.

Mohd Yahya said jurisdictional and technical problems in relation to housing issues and basic amenities in plantations have "somewhat hampered" proper monitoring and enforcement of laws like the Workers Minimum Housing and Amenities Act.

He also noted that there is no legal provision requiring employers to provide housing for plantation workers.

"But if they do provide housing, then they are bound to comply with the minimum standards stipulated under the relevant laws," he added.