POLICE have called up unionist J. Solomon to give a statement after Human Resources Minister M. Saravanan lodged a report against him for alleged slander and misleading the public.

The general secretary of the National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE) said the report against him over a statement on the suspension of the minimum workers’ housing regulation is a “blatant tactic to intimidate workers’ unions”.

NUBE, in a statement a few weeks ago, called out the ministry for being lax in enforcing the standards for the living arrangements of employees.

This came after Human Resources Ministry announced that the enforcement of Act 446 governing workers’ housing standards will be postponed until the end of the year following representations from the manufacturing sector, which had asked for more time in view of the Covid-19.

“I view Saravanan’s police report against me as a blatant tactic to intimidate workers’ unions, to deter them from speaking up against any violation of workers’ rights, which have been eroded time and again in the self-interest of unscrupulous employers,” Solomon said, adding that the move is a cowardly act.

“More so if done by the minister who is responsible for the plight of millions of workers and whose focus should be on helping them during this movement control order period, instead of wasting time attacking union leaders who are merely carrying out their responsibilities.”

He said the minister should have called NUBE or arranged for a discussion and sought clarification on its statement.

“As a public servant, he ought to have done so. Instead he chose to use intimidating tactics such as lodging a police report against me, in my capacity as a union leader, for taking a stand against the government’s reticence to enforce Act 446,” he said.

“As NUBE’s general secretary, a member of the Malaysian Trades Union Congress general council and a former MTUC secretary-general, I will continue to protect my fellow workers and voice out against any attempts to erode their rights.

“I will not be cowed by any form of intimidation by anyone, especially the minister of human resources.”

Solomon urged Putrajaya to take unions’ statements positively and be receptive to their suggestions and views instead of being defensive and going to the police, who are already facing a huge challenge implementing the movement control order.

Solomon said cramped, unhygienic living conditions with poor sanitation and little ventilation, which many foreign workers are subjected to, are potential clusters for diseases, not just Covid-19.

He said such clusters, if they happen, will impact Malaysians, both at workplaces and on the streets.

“NUBE, once again, calls on the minister to issue a clear and unequivocal statement that his ministry will use the full weight of his office to enforce Act 446,” he said.

“We also call upon his office to provide periodic statistics on the enforcement checks, including the number of employers booked for flouting the act.”

He said transparency in this matter will restore goodwill between the minister and workers and their union leaders. – May 19, 2021.