the blogging syed shahir

The Star, 2 May 2008

SHAH ALAM: MTUC leaders will visit Parliament on Monday to seek MPs’ support for their RM900 minimum wage demand.

Its secretary-general G. Rajasekaran said the congress was already assured of support from Pakatan Rakyat MPs and would try to get as many Barisan Nasional members as it could to support the demand.

He said MTUC decided on the move after failing to get a response from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, following a memorandum on the matter sent to him in February.

Nice to meet you: Khalid shaking hands with foreign workers who took part in the Labour Day celebration organised by MTUC at Dataran Kemerdekaan in Shah Alam Thursday.

“We have not even received an acknowledgement from the Prime Minister’s office that they received the memorandum,” Rajasekaran said in his speech at the Labour Day gathering, which was attended by about 3,000 people, at Dataran Kemerdekaan here yesterday.

MTUC president Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud said the call for better wages was made in view of the burden many low-wage earners faced because of the rising cost of living.

Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said the state would start discussions with companies soon on how to implement the minimum wage scheme for workers.

A rally, organised by Jaringan Rakyat Tertindas (Jerit) or Oppressed People’s Network, was held in Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur, where several hundred people held up banners calling for a minimum wage to be implemented. Other non-governmental organisations were present to give support.

There were other rallies in other cities as well.

Dang Wangi OCPD Asst Comm Mohamad Zulkarnain Abdul Rahman said the May Satu gathering at Dataran Merdeka was illegal, as its organisers did not have a police permit.

He said police had to move in to disperse the crowd that had gathered at 9.30am.

“We only received a letter from Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) pro tem secretary-general S. Arutchelvan early yesterday morning requesting permission to hold the gathering, which we cannot entertain,” he said.

Meanwhile, MTUC Sarawak wants the Government to improve the well-being of private sector workers through better wages and to ensure their fundamental rights are protected.