We’ll act fairly to solve estate workers’ plight

TheStar Saturday August 7, 2010

PUTRAJAYA: The Government has always acted fairly in discussions with former workers of Ladang Bukit Jalil, Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam said.

“This has been going on for a long time and we want to resolve this issue in a fair manner, with the co-operation of the former residents and the Government,” he told a press conference yesterday to clarify reports that the Government had not done anything to help the former workers. He said the workers’ representatives had 11 rounds of discussions with the Federal Terri­tories and Urban Well-being Ministry and Kuala Lumpur City Hall and another 16 meetings with officials from the Manpower Department.

Dr Subramaniam said the representatives had wanted to meet him on Thursday but the meeting was rescheduled to yesterday. “But they called late Thursday and said they would not be able to come for the meeting,” he added. Dr Subramaniam said a meeting involving the workers’ representatives, National Union of Plantation Workers, the Federal Territories and Urban Well-being Ministry and DBKL would be held next week. He said each of the former workers had been offered a RM35,000 low-cost unit flat with a RM2,000 rebate and relocation expenses of RM1,000.

He said the workers’ representatives had met him on Aug 3 requesting his assistance to stop the demolition work by DBKL, adding that he had spoken to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Federal Territories and Urban Well-being Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin to postpone it. Dr Subramaniam said the workers’ representatives had requested for an official letter on the offer for the houses and it had been given to them.

On a question that workers wanted low-cost houses instead of flats, he said it was not feasible for houses to be built in major towns.