PM urged to intervene in LHDN’s termination of contract workers

 

The prime minister’s senior political secretary, Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin (second from left), received the memo from representatives of the Malaysian Trades Union Congress and contract workers of the Inland Revenue Board. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has been asked to intervene and help the 958 contract employees terminated by the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) on Dec 31.

Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) secretary-general Kamarul Bahrin Mansor said while the 958 were on daily contract, some of them had worked for the department for more than a decade.

“We are appealing to the prime minister to reinstate these workers who earn RM65 per day who will lose their source of income,” Kamarul told reporters when met after sending an appeal letter to the prime minister through his senior political secretary, Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin.

The 958 workers come from various LHDN offices nationwide, including Sabah and Sarawak. Most are from the B40 lower income group.

Kamarul also questioned LHDN’s decision to terminate the workers’ contract while undergoing a “digitalisation process to automate many of its tasks and improve its efficiency”.

He said this was merely an excuse as the department had hired 700 workers who were supposedly offered full-time positions.

“I was informed that LHDN had appointed more than 700 workers, the question is why appoint new workers and terminate the old ones?

“If LHDN is undergoing digitisation, they could do so by absorbing the 958 workers as full-timers as they have the experience,” he said.

Meanwhile, Shamsul said the matter had been brought up to the prime minister and would be looked into.

Last week, LHDN said roughly 1,000 tax officers under contract with the department would not have their contracts renewed as most of their tasks had been automated. Among those affected were 42 officers who were on monthly contracts. - FMT