The migrant workers parliamentary caucus wants the government to set up a RM1 billion retrenchment fund to help workers facing the sack in light of the global economic meltdown.

Caucus chairperson Abdullah Sani (PKR-Kuala Langat) today said the fund was necessary to provide financial protection for workers facing retrenchment in the coming months.

mtuc minimum wage protest 250607 abdullah sani "If the government can allocate RM5 billion to help shareholders (in Valuecap ), why can't they allocate RM1 billion to help the nation’s workers?" Abdullah told a press conference held at Parliament lobby this afternoon.

He also said that a letter of demand should be sent to the relevant ministry as soon as possible and a meeting with the relevant minister must be arranged to address the issue.

The demand was among six points in a resolution made by the caucus in their first meeting yesterday evening.

Another resolution demanded that the government freeze the influx of foreign workers into the country and also prioritise the employment of domestic workers.

"The government should not only stop setting up quotas for the inflow of foreign workers but the unmet quotas must also be abolished," said Abdullah.

Urgent meeting with Home Minister

m kulasegaran He added that caucus secretary, M Kulasegaran (DAP-Ipoh Barat), has been tasked to arrange a meeting with Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar to discuss the issue.

Among the other matters discussed in the meeting, said Abdullah, was the appointment of three more members of the caucus from Barisan Nasional.

Others beside Abdullah and Kulasegaran who attended the meeting were Dr D Jeyakumar (PSM-Sungai Siput), Ahmad Hamzah (BN-Jasin), M Manogaran (DAP-Teluk Intan), Chua Soon Bui (BN-Tawau), Tian Chua (PKR-Batu), Mohsin Fadzli Samsuri (PKR-Bagan Serai) and Nancy Shukri (BN-Batang Sadong).

The meeting’s first session was chaired by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz, who is also in charge of parliamentary affairs.