Court upholds dismissal of manager at Telekom Malaysia subsidiary

 The Industrial Court says the claimant had abused his position to benefit himself and a senior air force officer.

The Industrial Court says TM Technology Services Sdn Bhd’s dismissal of the manager was justified on grounds of abuse of position for personal gain. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 The Industrial Court in Kuala Lumpur has upheld the dismissal of a manager at a Telekom Malaysia Bhd subsidiary three years ago for abusing his position to benefit an air force officer and for personal gain.

The manager, in charge of TM Technology Services Sdn Bhd’s aviation and maritime division at the time, saw his employment terminated after the company’s disciplinary board found him guilty of abusing his power to benefit himself and a Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) officer with the rank of major.

Court chairman D Paramalingam said the company had proved on a balance of probabilities that the claimant was guilty of all six charges set out in the show cause letter.

“The offences committed were serious and called into question the claimant’s honesty and integrity. His designation as manager of the division is a senior position in the company, and he failed in his fiduciary duties,” Pamalingam said in an award handed down last week.

The court chairman added that by misusing the company’s funds and collaborating with the air force officer, whose wife owned a firm awarded a contract, the claimant had defrauded the company.

He said the company’s decision to sack the manager was commensurate with the wrongdoings committed.

The claimant, who had served for a total of 13 years with TM and subsequently with its subsidiary, was dismissed after a domestic inquiry held in 2023.

He was found guilty of misconduct, including by requesting annual Legoland tickets and open vouchers from Fraser Place Puteri Harbour in Johor — including a four-day, three-night stay in a deluxe room for the RMAF officer, and instructing the hotel to conceal the costs from its quotation.

He was further found guilty of keeping tickets for two adults and two children for his own benefit, violating the TM Code of Business Ethics.

Additionally, the claimant was found guilty of rigging a bidding process by asking a firm to submit three quotations, giving the company an unfair advantage when bidding for a contract — which the firm eventually secured.

He also awarded a contract to supply 100 souvenir mugs to the firm owned by the air force officer’s wife without declaring a conflict of interest.

Nur Zurain Mat Ramlee appeared for the claimant, while Subramaniam Anjan and Ainnur Anissa Abdul Razak represented the company. - FMT