I'm not heartless, says MB over PKNS sacking
Aidila RazakPublished: Feb 6, 2014 8:56 AM | Updated: Feb 6, 2014 1:57 PM
The Selangor government has denied it acted cruelly in the recent sacking of Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) contract staff, are many of them are leaving with fat compensation checks.
The Selangor government has denied it acted cruelly in the recent sacking of Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) contract staff, are many of them are leaving with fat compensation checks.
“If we were heartless we would not give two months’ (pay) compensation. Some are getting more than RM60,000,” Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim told reporters today.
He is referring to the action taken by PKNS Holdings, a subsidiary of PKNS, to terminate the contracts of more than 20 workers with just 24 hours notice due to “redundancies” between the contract workers and permanent staff.
However, affected staff decried the move, with even Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) deputy president Abdullah Sani Abdul labelling it as a “cruel act”
Asked if the timing of the termination could affect PKR in the Kajang by-election, Khalid, who is also PKR’s election director for the by-election, said that it just had to be done.
“The people of Kajang will love it. I am saving the state money, and not only the people of Kajang but the people of Selangor. They want things to be proper and transparent,” he said.
“Timing or not, in management, things must be in done in an effective and transparent manner.”
Khalid, who may have to give way to PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim as MB if Anwar wins the Kajang by-election, also dismissed talk that this is an act of “sabotage”.
“Then it mean I am sabotaging myself. It is either a joke or something serious!” he said.
Khalid said that PKNS will comply with the employment contracts of each individual affected, with promised compensation varying between the 22 who have had their contracts not renewed.
He said that the staff were well aware of the restructuring exercise and that aggrieved parties can take the matter to the Industrial Court.
He also declined to comment on a suggestion by PKR’s Hulu Langat MP Abdullah Sani Abd Hamid that he should resign on the matter.
“I don’t think I need to comment on it as this is probably the seventh urging for me to resign,” he quipped.
‘Two officers for the same thing’
To a question, he said that although the staff were terminated with 24-hours notice, there is no issue of job handover.
“It’s all right. (PKNS permanent) staff complained. Whether the contract staff were there or not, things were the same. So there must be something wrong with it.
“The staff were complaining there were two officers (for the same thing), like two public relations officers. So if one is terminated, there is still the other. This should not be the case,” he said.
He also said that the parachuting of contract staff into high ranking positions in PKNS unfairly “stiffled” permanent staff's career progressions.
He said that each position on offer in PKNS should be available by promotion and internal staff should be given the chance to apply for it.
“But this did not happen in PKNS,” said Khalid, who is also PKNS chairperson.
“If we were heartless we would not give two months’ (pay) compensation. Some are getting more than RM60,000,” Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim told reporters today.
He is referring to the action taken by PKNS Holdings, a subsidiary of PKNS, to terminate the contracts of more than 20 workers with just 24 hours notice due to “redundancies” between the contract workers and permanent staff.
However, affected staff decried the move, with even Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) deputy president Abdullah Sani Abdul labelling it as a “cruel act”
Asked if the timing of the termination could affect PKR in the Kajang by-election, Khalid, who is also PKR’s election director for the by-election, said that it just had to be done.
“The people of Kajang will love it. I am saving the state money, and not only the people of Kajang but the people of Selangor. They want things to be proper and transparent,” he said.
“Timing or not, in management, things must be in done in an effective and transparent manner.”
Khalid, who may have to give way to PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim as MB if Anwar wins the Kajang by-election, also dismissed talk that this is an act of “sabotage”.
“Then it mean I am sabotaging myself. It is either a joke or something serious!” he said.
Khalid said that PKNS will comply with the employment contracts of each individual affected, with promised compensation varying between the 22 who have had their contracts not renewed.
He said that the staff were well aware of the restructuring exercise and that aggrieved parties can take the matter to the Industrial Court.
He also declined to comment on a suggestion by PKR’s Hulu Langat MP Abdullah Sani Abd Hamid that he should resign on the matter.
“I don’t think I need to comment on it as this is probably the seventh urging for me to resign,” he quipped.
‘Two officers for the same thing’
To a question, he said that although the staff were terminated with 24-hours notice, there is no issue of job handover.
“It’s all right. (PKNS permanent) staff complained. Whether the contract staff were there or not, things were the same. So there must be something wrong with it.
“The staff were complaining there were two officers (for the same thing), like two public relations officers. So if one is terminated, there is still the other. This should not be the case,” he said.
He also said that the parachuting of contract staff into high ranking positions in PKNS unfairly “stiffled” permanent staff's career progressions.
He said that each position on offer in PKNS should be available by promotion and internal staff should be given the chance to apply for it.
“But this did not happen in PKNS,” said Khalid, who is also PKNS chairperson.
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