Sunday 6 May 2012

2012 International Labour Day Celebration in Johor - Message From The Presidium 'Workers Working Together for A Secure Future'

2012 International Labour Day Celebration in Johor 
Message From The Presidium

'Workers Working Together for
A Secure Future'

Dr. Hj. Ali Abdul Rahman,  Y. Mohan,  Ng Chee Wee

Dr. Hj. Ali Abdul Rahman delivered the Message from the Presidium
The dilemmas faced by the Malaysian workers, regardless of ethnicorigins, are critical and worrying.  Not only can they affect the well-being of the people, but also affect the harmony of the community and security of our  beloved nation.

The low wage followed by a high cost of living is one of the main dilemmas.  Unskilled workers, such as operators in factories and floor cleaners in offices, are paid an initial salary of RM400 to RM550.  Some of them are sole bread earners for large families.  Some of them are compelled to live in big cities, such as Johor Bahru, where the cost of living is among the highest in the entire country.

Most of the employers in companies and plantations show greater tendency to hire foreign workers because the latter are willing to accept lower pay.  Despite receiving low pay, these foreign workers are prepared  to hold on since either they are single, or they had left their families back in their respective countries.  In the circumstances, they can afford to work many shifts to augment their incomes.  As a result, their total income increases and they can send back money to their home countries. Their income,  when converted to the respective currencies, may sustain their families quite comfortably.  What a loss to the local workers who are being sidelined! ... and what a loss to all Malaysians for the hundreds of millions of ringgit flowing to other countries.

The priority given to foreign workers does not stop there.  Indeed, terms of the contract signed with the employers promise a tenure of work up to 2 years – which is often extended – compared to mere 3 months for the locals. While the employment of the local workers may be terminated without any compensation, the foreigners are given special treatment due to the fact that their contracts involve the bilateral relations of two countries.  Indeed foreign workers are a threat to the locals!

To add salt to injury, the Minister for Human Resources – who by right should be fighting for the local workers – seems more passionate in the fight for the betterment of foreign maids – they are given a minimum wage of RM800, free meals, a full-day off each week – rather than looking into the plight of his own people.  As a Malay proverb goes, "monkeys in the  jungle are well fed at the expense of starving own children at home".

The plight of local workers is not limited to a particular ethnic group,  but the same is true for all races in Malaysia.  Nevertheless, perhaps the Indian community is the particular race specially affected.  The majority of the Indian workers have been living in rubber estates, since pre-Independence days.  After Independence, the government switched its focus on oil palm plantations, instead of rubber estates. The Indian estate workers lost their jobs because the employers preferred to take in foreign workers.  The foreign workers are seen to be more loyal and willing to work under trying circumstances.  In the rubber estates that still exist,  such as those in Kluang and Segamat, the fate which befalls the local workers is pathetic.  During the rainy season, they have no pay, but such term of contract does not apply to foreign workers in the same estates!

All the pledges the British made to the Indians when they were brought in to work in rubber estates, turned out to be empty promises.  Promises of benefits (such as free housing, etc.) are not made good. The sad state of affairs repeats itself from generation to generation. Today, most of the Indian estate workers belong to the third generation from the same families who have been working in the same estates.  What a shabby treatment has been meted out to this ethnic group!

Many Indian estate workers have migrated to big cities in to try their luck.  The attempts have largely been made in vain,  because factories now impose an age limit of 35 years as the starting age for a job as an operator.  They finally end up doing menial jobs as floor cleaners, security guards or jobs which do not entail special skills.  As a result of being paid a meagre salary, both husband and wife have to work in order to feed a large family.  The house which they can afford to rent, (the rent is relatively high in cities)  is normally in a troubled neighbourhood far from being peaceful.  Consequently, their children, neglected and malnourished, lagging behind in educational performance, are aggravated by not so good social influence, grow up to be social misfits.  They have partly contributed to the high crime rate in this country.

It is really unfortunate that the workers depicted above have been and will always be caught in an endless  vicious cycle.  They become targets for law enforcement agencies. Society lacks understanding of the source of the dilemma they are in.

Have we, the Malaysians, lost our sense of humanity?  …

The Indians – and other races as well in Malaysia – badly need help.

But who would be rendering assistance to them?  Certainly not the greedy employers.

The problems originated from the government policy, and therefore, should be solved by the government.  But the present government does not bother. It has gone astray from the right path. It does not take the necessary remedial  steps which ought to have been taken by them.

Minimum Wage

The proposal to set a minimum wage for workers, now a reality, although looks attractive on the surface, actually may bring about bigger woes for Malaysians.  There is news that a number of companies have shifted their factories and operations, whether partial or total,  to other countries (such as China and Vietnam) where the workers’ wages are lower than those in Malaysia. This will cause high rate of unemployment in the medium term or in the long term.

Should we just wait and see the catastrophe which is coming our way ? …
It is true that we fight for better wages for our workers.  But the question of sustainability also has to be addressed.  We would like employers to pay reasonable wages to the employees in line with the quality and productivity of their work.

A significant step which can be taken by the government is to set aside a fund for the training of workers for the purpose of upgrading their quality of work and skills.  The workers can also be given the opportunity to acquire the skills required in their work.  The employers then need not on their own train the local workers new to the jobs, because the workers with the training given by the government, can start contributing to the productivity of the companies from day one.

Emphasis should also be given to upgrading the work attitude and team-building.  As work attitude, productivity, and quality of work improve compared to those of foreign workers, employers would happily hire the locals.  They will be more than willing to improve the workers’ wage schemes in accordance with the performance of the companies.  This is the solution to the dilemma that local workers are facing. It is a win-win situation.

Another appropriate step that should be taken by the government is,  to provide incentives for companies which hire and retain local workers.  Among these are tax preferences for those who employ the locals.

Unfortunately, the current government looks impotent and lacking in ideas and initiatives.  The public sector which comes directly under its purview is not without its share of woes.

New Public Service Renumeration Scheme (SBPA)

Recently the government announced its intention to replace the Malaysian Renumeration Scheme (which has been in place since the time of Tun Mahathir) for its employees (SSM)  with the New Public Service Renumeration Scheme (SBPA).  Despite its own shortcomings, there are significant merits in the new scheme, prompting many a civil servant to opt for the extension of their retirement age to 60 years.   Then came the bad news: in the middle of March 2012, the Prime Minister withdrew the proposal, and reverted to the old scheme SSM with some modifications.

The indecisive action on the part of the government served only to reveal its glaring weakness in policy and decision making.  SBPA was proposed as part of the Government Transformation Programme (GTP).  Indeed SBPA contains many positive elements which can promote delivery of services in the public sector.  For example, the existence of exit policy provides for the termination of underproductive workers.  Annulling SBPA before it even takes off, reverting to SSM shows loss of direction on the part of the government, besides its lack of commitment towards its own GTP initiative.  Besides, many government employees feel cheated because they accepted the option to extend their retirement age in order to exploit the promise of pay increase under SBPA, but now that the new scheme has been withdrawn, their retirement age remains at 60.

It is important to note that the extension of retirement age also has dark implications for the young would-be workers.  Many youths who have just acquired certificates, diplomas, and degrees, and are waiting eagerly to enter their respective careers, are being frustrated after being denied jobs due to no vacancies in the government sector.  These adolescence and youths, rightly the second echelon in the nation, now become the neglected talents.  As an English proverb goes, ‘An idle mind is a most terrible thing to waste’.  The fate of these young would-be workers will certainly have repercussions for the nation’s future.

Thus is the scenario for our workers – and the would-be workers – of our nation.  In the plantations, they are sidelined and driven away.  In the factories they are being trivialised.  In the public sector, they remained handicapped.  They need support.  Not from the greedy employers, or the government which has lost its hold on reality, for both can only prolong their sufferings.

It is we – the workers in plantations, factories, and government sector – who are capable of helping ourselves.  Therefore, we, the multiracial workers, should be united, cooperate, synergise, as the citizens of this beloved nation of ours, in demanding our rights as enshrined in the nation’s Constitution.  The government which shouts the slogan ‘The priority is to the people’ must be made accountable to its actions, so that they walk the talk.  Employers must be urged to be just to the local workers through the making of laws passed by Parliament, according to the Constitution.

These are the demands of the Malaysian workers.  These demands can only be met if we are united and work together, regardless of race and religion, standing for our rights which have been long denied us.
The satisfaction of these demands will ensure bright future for our workers and all the people of this beloved nation.

'Workers working together for a secure future'

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通告 Notification




工委会议决:将徐袖珉除名

人民之友工委会2020年9月27日常月会议针对徐袖珉(英文名: See Siew Min)半年多以来胡闹的问题,议决如下:

鉴于徐袖珉长期以来顽固推行她的“颜色革命”理念和“舔美仇华”思想,蓄意扰乱人民之友一贯以来的“反对霸权主义,反对种族主义”政治立场,阴谋分化甚至瓦解人民之友推动真正民主改革的思想阵地,人民之友工委会经过长时间的考察和验证,在2020年9月27日会议议决;为了明确人民之友创立以来的政治立场以及贯彻人民之友现阶段以及今后的政治主张,必须将徐袖珉从工委会名单上除名,并在人民之友部落格发出通告,以绝后患。

2020年9月27日发布



[ 漫画新解 ]
新冠病毒疫情下的马来西亚
舔美精神患者的状态

年轻一辈人民之友有感而作


注:这“漫画新解”是反映一名自诩“智慧高人一等”而且“精于民主理论”的老姐又再突发奇想地运用她所学会的一丁点“颜色革命”理论和伎俩来征服人民之友队伍里的学弟学妹们的心理状态——她在10多年前曾在队伍里因时时表现自己是超群精英,事事都要别人服从她的意愿而人人“惊而远之”,她因此而被挤出队伍近10年之久。

她在三年前被一名年长工委推介,重新加入人民之友队伍。可是,就在今年年初她又再故态复萌,尤其是在3月以来,不断利用部落格的贴文,任意扭曲而胡说八道。起初,还以“不同意见者”的姿态出现,以博取一些不明就里的队友对她的同情和支持,后来,她发现了她的欺骗伎俩无法得逞之后,索性撤下了假面具,对人民之友一贯的“反对霸权主义、反对种族主义”的政治立场,发出歇斯底里的叫嚣,而暴露她设想人民之友“改旗易帜”的真面目!

尤其是在新冠病毒疫情(COVID-19)课题上,她公然猖狂跟人民之友的政治立场对着干,指责人民之友服务于中国文宣或大中华,是 “中国海外统治部”、“中华小红卫兵”等等等等。她甚至通过强硬粗暴手段擅自把我们的WhatsApp群组名称“Sahabat Rakyat Malaysia”改为“吐槽美国样衰俱乐部”这样的无耻行动也做得出来。她的这种种露骨的表现足以说明了她是一名赤裸裸的“反中仇华”份子。

其实,在我们年轻队友看来,这名嘲讽我们“浪费了20年青春”[人民之友成立至今近20年(2001-9-9迄今)]并想要“拯救我们年轻工委”的这位“徐大姐”,她的思想依然停留在20年前的上个世纪。她初始或许是不自觉接受了“西方民主”和“颜色革命”思想的培养,而如今却是自觉地为维护美国的全球霸权统治而与反对美国霸权支配全球的中国人民和全世界各国(包括马来西亚)人民为敌。她是那么狂妄自大,却是多么幼稚可笑啊!

她所说的“你们浪费了20年青春”正好送回给她和她的跟班,让他们把她的这句话吞到自己的肚子里去!


[ 漫画新解 ]
新冠病毒疫情下的马来西亚
"公知"及其跟班的精神面貌

注:这“漫画新解”是与<人民之友>4月24日转贴的美国政客叫嚣“围剿中国”煽动颠覆各国民间和组织 >(原标题为<当心!爱国队伍里混进了这些奸细……>)这篇文章有关联的。这篇文章作者沈逸所说的“已被欧美政治认同洗脑的‘精神欧美人’”正是马来西亚“公知”及其跟班的精神面貌的另一种写照!




[ 漫画新解 ]
新冠病毒疫情下的马来西亚
"舔美"狗狗的角色

编辑 / 来源:人民之友 / 网络图库

注:这“漫画新解”是与《察网》4月22日刊林爱玥专栏文章<公知与鲁迅之间 隔着整整一个中国 >这篇文章有关联的,这是由于这篇文章所述说的中国公知,很明显是跟这组漫画所描绘的马来西亚的“舔美”狗狗,有着孪生兄弟姐妹的亲密关系。

欲知其中详情,敬请点击、阅读上述文章内容,再理解、品味以下漫画的含义。这篇文章和漫画贴出后,引起激烈反响,有人竟然对号入座,暴跳如雷且发出恐吓,众多读者纷纷叫好且鼓励加油。编辑部特此接受一名网友建议:在显著的布告栏内贴出,方便网友搜索、浏览,以扩大宣传教育效果。谢谢关注!谢谢鼓励!












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