Call on Liow Tiong Lai to halt KTMB’s sacking of union officials

Media statement by DAP National Political Education Director and MP for Kluang Liew Chin Tong on 10th September 2014

I call on Minister of Transport Liow Tiong Lai to halt all sackings by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) of its union officials immediately.

Ministerial intervention is necessary in the interest of the workers and KTMB itself.

KTMB doesn’t belong to its appointed President Elias Kadir and union officials should not be disciplined for merely organising a picket to ask the President to go.

According to a Malaysiakini report dated 10th September 2014, KTMB sacked eight more union members yesterday, on top of 110 workers who had been given show-cause letters, as well as the sackings of Railwaymen’s Union of Malaya (RUM) president Abdul Razak Md Hassan and his deputy R. Subramaniam.

I am also making this call for the Minister to intervene because KTMB’s non-executive chairman and MP for Langkawi Datuk Nawawi Ahmad has apparently lost control over the company’s decision-making.

On 5th September 2014, Datuk Nawawi was quoted by The Star that he would discuss the matter with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak on 14th September 2014 when the latter visits Langkawi, and that Nawawi would meet Elias and Abdul Razak separately to find an amicable solution.

Given that the Government-appointed non-executive chairman is ineffective in solving the crisis, it is time for Liow to intervene immediately.

Liew Chin Tong