Protest until housing promise fulfilled, estate workers vow
Susan LoonePublished: Jan 31, 2001 12:51 PM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 6:21 PM
About 500 estate workers today protested outside one of the country's largest plantation companies, demanding the housing schemes promised to them, failing which they would continue to protest again and again.
The workers representing about 20 estates handed in a five-page memorandum to Golden Hope Plantation at Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, at 10.30am today.
Elderly men and women were spotted carrying placards and banners displaying words such as "Golden Hope, please implement the housing scheme you promised us", "It's been 12 years and our problems are not settled yet" and "Make good your promises, Golden Hope".
"We want a concrete reply from the management or else we will do this over and over again," said Community Development Centre coordinator Y Kohila.
"The workers are losing their patience. It's a shame that one of the largest plantation companies in this country cannot solve its workers' problems," she added.
After a two-hour wait, the company's senior manager Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman met the workers and received the memorandum on behalf of the management.
He said the management would meet not more than four representatives from the group but the workers did not accept his proposal and urged a representative to read out the memorandum in detail.
Workers evicted
A representative then read out the memorandum in detail in front of the protesting crowd. The memorandum outlined three important concerns which they want the management to tackle:
- Estate workers being evicted when they reach 55 years old
- Estate workers being terminated from their work and evicted when Golden Hope carries out a replanting programme
- Estate workers being evicted when the land is sold or developed.
The group represented plantation workers in Negri Sembilan, Selangor, Perak and Kedah, who were not given housing compensation by their companies.
Kohila said that many of the estate workers faced forced evictions, stalled negotiations and were made homeless for more than 12 years.
Yesterday, K Raviechandran, another coordinator at CDC, told malaysiakini that estate workers from Braemar estate in Kajang were promised housing but never got any. ([#1]Displaced estate workers to register protest tomorrow[/#], Jan 30)
He also related that workers in estates owned by Golden Hope in Kedah were facing marginalisation due to replanting.
On Jan 19, malaysiakini had reported on similar grievances by a group of Selangor estate workers who protested in front of Selangor Mentri Besar Mohd Khir Toyo's office in Shah Alam.
The group protested the ineffective implementation of the housing policy which has resulted in many of them being left homeless or living in inadequate conditions. ([#2]Estate workers protest at MB's office[/#], Jan 19)
The workers representing about 20 estates handed in a five-page memorandum to Golden Hope Plantation at Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, at 10.30am today.
Elderly men and women were spotted carrying placards and banners displaying words such as "Golden Hope, please implement the housing scheme you promised us", "It's been 12 years and our problems are not settled yet" and "Make good your promises, Golden Hope".
"We want a concrete reply from the management or else we will do this over and over again," said Community Development Centre coordinator Y Kohila.
"The workers are losing their patience. It's a shame that one of the largest plantation companies in this country cannot solve its workers' problems," she added.
After a two-hour wait, the company's senior manager Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman met the workers and received the memorandum on behalf of the management.
He said the management would meet not more than four representatives from the group but the workers did not accept his proposal and urged a representative to read out the memorandum in detail.
Workers evicted
A representative then read out the memorandum in detail in front of the protesting crowd. The memorandum outlined three important concerns which they want the management to tackle:
- Estate workers being evicted when they reach 55 years old
- Estate workers being terminated from their work and evicted when Golden Hope carries out a replanting programme
- Estate workers being evicted when the land is sold or developed.
The group represented plantation workers in Negri Sembilan, Selangor, Perak and Kedah, who were not given housing compensation by their companies.
Kohila said that many of the estate workers faced forced evictions, stalled negotiations and were made homeless for more than 12 years.
Yesterday, K Raviechandran, another coordinator at CDC, told malaysiakini that estate workers from Braemar estate in Kajang were promised housing but never got any. ([#1]Displaced estate workers to register protest tomorrow[/#], Jan 30)
He also related that workers in estates owned by Golden Hope in Kedah were facing marginalisation due to replanting.
On Jan 19, malaysiakini had reported on similar grievances by a group of Selangor estate workers who protested in front of Selangor Mentri Besar Mohd Khir Toyo's office in Shah Alam.
The group protested the ineffective implementation of the housing policy which has resulted in many of them being left homeless or living in inadequate conditions. ([#2]Estate workers protest at MB's office[/#], Jan 19)
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