No forced evictions of workers, say estate managers

The management company of Windsor Estate has denied reports of cutting water and electricity to force workers out of their quarters.

PETALING JAYA: The firm managing Windsor Estate, which is owned by energy giant Malakoff Corporation, has denied reports of a “forced eviction” of estate workers.

Tradewinds Plantech Sdn Bhd (TPSB) clarified their side of the story after Parti Sosialis Malaysia urged the human resources ministry to intervene.

Describing earlier reports as “untrue and baseless”, TPSB said the statements “misrepresent the true events that had occurred”.

Yesterday, PSM secretary-general A Sivarajan said workers at the estate were informed that the management would disconnect water and electricity supply to their quarters and carry out forced eviction.

Sivarajan said the workers claimed they were being forced out for bringing up the issue of the House Ownership Scheme – a policy implemented by the government since the 1970 – with the management last December.

He called for the company to cease the eviction threat and engage instead with the workers on the house ownership scheme. He also urged the human resources ministry to help the workers.

In a statement today, TPSB said only three individuals were involved in the dispute and that they were no longer employed by Windsor Estate since August 2019 following their retirement.

It denied that it was “shamefully going to cut the electricity and water to its workers’ quarters to evict the workers forcefully”, saying the trio “are not our workers anymore”.

“We had, as early as December 2019, given the three individuals reasonable notices for them to vacate the premises. However, they refused and continue to refuse to comply with the notices,” the company said, adding that several meetings had been held with them since January this year.

“They had even agreed to vacate the workers’ quarters which are provided for the benefit of workers at Windsor Estate. We wish to highlight that we have acted professionally, legally and in full compliance of the law,” it said.

The company said it had even sought external help to negotiate with the trio.

“To protect the interest of the existing workers, the matter was handed over to the National Union of Plantation Workers (NUPW) Ipoh to handle.

“NUPW also had meetings with the three individuals but they refused to vacate the workers’ quarters as earlier agreed and continue to enjoy the benefits provided for the workers inclusive of free electricity and water,” it said.

TPSB also denied the claim by Sivarajan that notices were only sent in the past three weeks.

“We deny that the first notices were only sent on July 28 and Aug 12 respectively and that workers were only given one week to vacate the quarters.

“We had notified only the three individuals concerned as early as December 2019 for them to vacate the quarters by January 2020. However, they continuously refused and disregarded our notices,” it said, adding that it had lodged a police report. - FMT