KAHB employees lodge report to claim salary arrears

ALOR SETAR: The employees of Kedah Agro Holdings Bhd (KAHB) lodged a report to the Kedah Department of Labour in Peninsular Malaysia ( JTKSM) here yesterday to claim their salaries which have been in arrears since July last year.

The company’s employee representative Mohamad Redzwan Ramlee said all 24 workers involved only wanted to demand their rights after waiting for a long time for their pay to meet their living needs.

“Some of us are facing domestic problems due to this issue, so this is not something trivial and we are not making it as a political issue,” he told reporters after lodging the report.

He said the report to JTKSM was made to demand KAHB pay all workers’ salary arrears which have been outstanding since last year.

“Our salary has been in arrears for nine months. During that period we struggle, some work part time or at restaurants, doing all kinds of things, while some have to depend on their wife’s income, for survival.

“We are not pressured by any party, we are only demanding our rights... we hope this matter will be resolved as soon as possible because it will be Raya soon as we have waited too long.

“If we don’t do all this and just hope, it won’t happen. During that period, some are still going to the office, some are struggling to find money for their children to go to school during this fasting month,” he said.

Earlier yesterday, Human Resources Minister Steven Sim said KAHB had given assurance that it would pay outstanding salaries of about RM560,000 to 24 workers before the Aidilfitri celebration next month.

Sim said the board of directors meeting on Monday also decided to stop the operation of the Kedah Menteri Besar Corporation (MBI) subsidiary. — Bernama