A SUCCESSION of Malaysian governments has failed to report on certain requests by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) pertaining to employment relationships, and harassment and violent treatment of workers since 2006. Barisan Nasional, Pakatan Harapan and Perikatan Nasional are all responsible for such a failure. 

The hope that was invested in Pakatan Harapan for better governance makes its failure during its tenure to be particularly disappointing. It should give an account of what had transpired in regard to the matter during its short time in government. 

Given its pathetic record, we cannot expect Barisan Nasional or what is left of it to even so much as attempt to explain what happened when it was at the helm. 

That the executive branch of the governments at various points, where the Human Resources Ministry has to be held responsible, saw it to be fit to ignore such requests speaks volumes of the attitude towards workers and the common people – without whom they would not have been in power. 

Human Resources Minister M. Saravanan of the current backdoor government must actually think that the Malaysian people are so ignorant to believe his story that the delay to submit such reports has to do with the prorogation of parliament. Was he intending to table the reports in parliament for debate? Perhaps he could convince his boss, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to reconvene the house for the purpose. 

The total failure to be transparent in making a submission on basic elements of human rights involving employment relationships and harassment and violence necessitates the question of what is being hidden by the government to be asked. We cannot expect a government who lacks any moral legitimacy to be interested to answer such a question. 

Workers and common Malaysians have long been subjected to the unfortunate consequences of a corrupt and unholy alliance between political and business interests. A review of how Government Linked Companies have been set up and run throughout the past few decades will provide the public with a clear idea of how the taxpayers have been shortchanged. 

The entire employment construct in the country needs an overhaul, and I suppose this can only happen when we have a government elected by the people in place. It is evident that the global citizenry has lost confidence in the international trade, economic and political order, which has benefited the 1% at the expense of the 99%. It is no different in Malaysia. Workers in the country need to be accorded more, enforceable rights and better representation. 

What is also interesting is the deafening silence of the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) on this issue as well as other matters afflicting workers in the country. Perhaps they are adopting a novel approach of maintaining a “dignified silence” in order for the backdoor government to do something good for the workers. 

The people and workers of the country need to know where the MTUC stands on matters impacting workers in the country. A socially distanced approach from the affairs of the workers is not right. For all the criticisms leveled against the MTUC over the past decades, it has never been afraid to take a position on matters such as these. The MTUC needs to be careful so as not to become a pliant tool of the government. 

Prime Minister Muhyiddin should step in to address the matter of the missing reports to the ILO and make the account available for public scrutiny. – March 28, 2021. 

* Callistus Antony D’Angelus reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.