Drop foreign workers first, says Subra

The Star - Monday, 27 April 2009

EMPLOYERS facing financial difficulties should lay off foreign workers before attempting to terminate their local staff, Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam said.

Investigations showed that some employers practised two salary schemes, one for locals and another for foreigners , Makkal Osai quoted him as saying.

They would pay local workers through the normal process but would outsource salary payment for foreign staff to agents, he added.

> Tamil Nesan reported MIC’s concerns that many Indians might not have the financial means to take up the 15% quota of Amanah Saham Malaysia shares allocated to the community.

Its president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said that as of last Wednesday, Permodalan Nasional Berhad stated that Indians had bought only 10.7% or 53.5 million units of the quota given to them compared with the Chinese who had taken up 999 million ASM units.

He proposed that the Government assist the Indians by providing partial grants or loans to buy the shares.

> Malaysia Nanban quoted Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) chairman P.Waythamoorthy as saying that the lack of action by the Attorney-General Chambers against those responsible for the death of A. Kugan, who died while in police custody on Jan 20 was a travesty of justice.

Accusing the Government of dragging its feet, he also urged elected representatives, NGOs and other Malaysians to pressure the authorities for quick action.