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Anjulie Ngan
Railwaymen’s Union of Malaya (RUM) president Abdul Razak Md Hassan, in a press conference today, challenged the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) president Elias Kadir to an open debate on the actual reasons for the disciplinary action on 112 KTMB workers.
“I want Elias to have an open debate with me and give us the actual reasons why he sacked 11 people, issued show-cause letters to 88 others and suspended 13 more. Some of us have been with KTMB for over 30 years.
“To date, Elias is the worst president that KTMB has ever seen, and it has cost KTMB a lot of money,” said Razak (left), who claimed that a letter requesting for the open debate had been sent six months ago.
He also added that he believes Elias’s “outburst” of sacking and suspending the workers is more of a personal attack rather than a collective decision by the management.
“This is more of a personal attack and revenge on Elias’s part for the picket that RUM held on May 9 that was attended by more than 700 people,” he said, indicating that the purpose of the picket was to demand for Elias’s resignation.
Elias was awarded the title of KTMB’s ‘non-performing president’ during RUM’s picket.
According to Razak, Elias began showing his true colours after about a year into the job and despite RUM sending 27 letters (all of which went unanswered), the KTMB president did not show any signs of improvement.
“Elias’s decision to sack and suspend us – some without notice, is a complete misuse of power directed towards people who were merely carrying out union responsibilities.
“The man is stubborn, yet too ‘cowardly’ to face the people working for him,” Razak said to Malaysiakini, adding that Elias has deliberately missed the last three company general meetings.
‘Union chiefs first two to be sacked‘
RUM deputy president Subramaniam Ramakrishnan, who worked as a train driver for 32 years, said that he and Razak were the first two people to be sacked on Aug 29.
“Our function as a union is to bring up issues that needs to solved, propose ideas and so forth. Yet, Elias not only rejects them, but he downright ignores us.
“Who else will speak on our behalf if not ourselves?” he asked.
The RUM president also urged Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to intervene and help solve this issue as Elias’s rash decision will sully Najib’s name since KTMB is operating under the Finance Ministry.
“It seems as though Elias is deliberately trying to compromise Najib and the Malaysian government,” he pointed out.
Razak and the members of RUM have reiterated that they want Elias to resign from his position as the president of KTMB and to ask for the reinstatement of all those who were wrongly discharged.
“We will fight for our freedom of speech and our rights as workers in a union,” he said.
Source: MalaysiaKini
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