Union: ‘Incredulous’ decisions over Emergency matters leave workers with a sense of despair

Andrew Lo

KUCHING (July 31): The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) Sarawak Division said the State of Emergency revocation on July 26 had left workers despaired in that the news had been kept from them for the whole five days.

MTUC Sarawak secretary Andrew Lo said the Covid-19 situation had reached ‘Emergency proportion’ despite the declaration of a State of Emergency, ostensibly to fight the pandemic.

The announcement in Parliament on July 26 about the Cabinet having ‘revoked’ the Emergency evidence on July 21 this year, days before Parliament reconvened for the very purpose of debate in the Emergency laws.

“I do not wish to get into a constitutional or legalistic debate over the cancellation – I would leave that to the experts. However, for ordinary workers and simple folk eking out a living in this Covid-19 ravished times, it is with despair to realise that our leaders are so afraid of putting before Parliament the declaration of a State of Emergency and kept the revocation from every Malaysian for five days,” said Lo in a statement yesterday.

He added that such incredulous decisions that left Malaysians, especially the workers, with a sense of despair.

“Workers are at the frontline fighting the pandemic, (such) as healthcare workers, law enforcers and those in the essential and exempted services. They are working under tremendous stress and in high risk of being infected with the virus.

“In Selangor, 69 per cent of new infections are from workplace clusters.
“The situation would remain this way until and unless government ministers and their cohorts step up and demonstrate leadership by example and put the law at the forefront, instead of hiding behind it; adherence to the rule of law would erode so much so that even workplace discipline would be compromised.

“I won’t be surprised if workers could call for a general strike.”
Lo pointed out that back in May, MTUC had issued a statement about the government having to lead by example in the war against Covid-19.

“As workers, one of our fundamental obligations and responsibilities is to follow workplace rules and regulations, as well as the policies of employers. Otherwise, we would be dismissed for major misconduct,” he pointed out.

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