Kenyataan Timbalan Menteri Besar Kelantan Mohd Amar Abdullah bahawa Empangan Nenggiri akan menurunkan tarif elektrik ialah kenyataan yang mengelirukan rakyat kerana pada hakikatnya tarif elektrik akan naik.
Menurut laporan oleh UKM Pakarunding Sdn Bhd selaku perunding projek, Empangan Nenggiri hanya akan beroperasi kurang daripada 4 jam sehari. Maka, jumlah waktu operasi Empangan Nenggiri adalah kurang daripada 2 bulan setahun.
Kenapa Kerajaan Perikatan Nasional (PN) membina empangan yang hanya akan digunakan selama 2 bulan setahun?
Menurut laporan Suruhanjaya Tenaga (ST), jumlah kapasiti stesen janakuasa berlebihan yang dikenali sebagai kadar rizab margin elektrik akan mencapai 43% pada tahun 2027 apabila Empangan Nenggiri mula beroperasi. Kadar rizab margin elektrik optimum yang disyorkan untuk Semenanjung Malaysia adalah 15%; manakala kadar rizab margin elektrik yang diluluskan oleh kerajaan persekutuan untuk tempoh tahun 2025-2029 adalah 25%.
Kenapa Kerajaan Perikatan Nasional (PN) melanggar dasar tenaga elektrik sendiri?
Memiliki kadar rizab margin elektrik yang tinggi akan meningkat tarif elektrik kerana pemegang saham stesen janakuasa akan menerima bayaran tetap walaupun stesen janakuasa tidak digunakan.
Rentetan itu, tarif elektrik akan naik dan ini akan memiskinkan rakyat demi memperkayakan kapitalis kroni.
Kenapa pemimpin PAS mengelirukan rakyat dengan mengeluarkan kenyataan yang mengatakan bahawa tarif elektrik akan menurun?
Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) menyeru pada kerajaan untuk membatalkan projek pembinaan Empangan Nenggiri yang memperkayakan kapitalis kroni tetapi membebankan rakyat dan memusnahkan kehidupan komuniti Orang Asli.
Dikeluarkan oleh:
SHARAN RAJ
Koordinator Nasional,
Biro Alam Sekitar & Krisis Iklim,
Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM)
Kesavan, 27. I am an activist at Pemuda Sosialis (organising a rural student group at Perak) and still studying at UPM.
What drew you to PSM? When did you join the party?
At first I was interested in the Socialist Youth free education campaign. The mission and ideology of PSM that tries to create a system that does not discriminate and which upholds equality is the second thing that attracted me. Then my seeking for a solution for poverty eradication led me to choose an activist party, which PSM is. After I finished my STPM, I joined PSM.
Why do you think socialism has such a negative reputation among so many people around the world? What do you say to those who discourage you?
Fake propaganda and news are the major reason. Because mainstream media is hugely funded and operated by America and by capitalist countries. But the majority of society wants equality and brotherhood in society, which is the basis of socialism. Moreover in countries like Bolivia and Venezuela, people are electing socialist governments again to be their government because of the good people-oriented policy and programmes that were successfully implemented there. Cuba, the socialist country is the no1 country in public health and education sectors.
How familiar are you with Malaysia’s left wing history? Are there particular leaders you admire?
I know about the contribution of the left movements such as PMFTU, KMM, MPAJA, PKM, API and AWAS in the struggle for independence of Malaya. My inspiration is Ahmad Boestamam and Samsiah Fakeh.
Is there any frustration you feel over PSM’s size and impact? Since Dr Jeyakumar and other candidates were soundly defeated in GE14, has the party been reduced to mosquito status?
There are some disappointments with election results. But the party won many struggles and successfully conducted many campaigns. For example the minimum wage campaign and employee insurance scheme were two of PSM’s major campaigns since the 90s. However the party has a lack of publicity because of low media coverage and financial issues. This is one of the reasons the party is not growing as fast as other parties. Also all the activists in the party are busy focusing on peoples’ struggles rather than recruiting new members.
Do you see any differences between BN and PH rule?
Not much difference. Both are advocating neoliberal policies that suppress workers ’rights and livelihood.
What can be done to broaden PSM’s appeal, particularly among young people and non-Indians?
Our youth wing (Socialist Youth) is getting more and more non-Indian members now. We are very different in terms of ethnicity now. So we think we should continue our good work. At the same time we must continue to reach more youths. The party should also conduct more discussions, workshops and forums with rural youths. In addition, we should promote the PSM internship program to students from time to time.
Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) menyambut baik keputusan Mahkamah Persekutuan yang menghakimi Seksyen 28 di bawah Enakmen Syariah Negeri Selangor berkenaan kesalahan melakukan persetubuhan di luar tabii adalah bercanggah dengan Perlembagaan Persekutuan. Seksyen 28 telah digunakan sebagai satu alat yang menindas dan untuk menjenayahkan orientasi seksual komuniti LGBT di Malaysia oleh pihak kerajaan negeri.
PSM bangga dengan perjuangan komuniti LGBT Malaysia dalam mendapatkan hak asasi mereka untuk tidak dihukum hanyalah kerana perbezaan seksualiti dan gender. Perjuangan komuniti LGBT sekaligus akan memastikan wujudnya kesaksamaan hak asasi, keadilan dan kebebasan kepada semua rakyat Malaysia yang sepatutnya hidup di dalam negara yang merdeka.
Keputusan Mahkamah Persekutuan tersebut telah mengingatkan semua rakyat Malaysia, tanpa mengira latar belakang kita, untuk menghentikan penjenayahan dan menghapuskan diskriminasi terhadap masyarakat LGBT. PSM ingin mengingatkan bahawa Malaysia adalah sebuah negara yang berperlembagaan, dan sebuah negara yang terdiri daripada pelbagai orang yang berbagai budaya, agama, seksualiti dan jantina.
Apa-apa tindakan atau undang-undang yang sedia ada tidak boleh mendiskriminasi ataupun menindas sesiapapun. Undang-undang tidak kira Syariah ataupun Sivil perlulah melindungi hak ekpresi orientasi seksual. Perjuangan komuniti LGBT di Malaysia untuk kesaksamaan hak asasi dan penerimaan masih jauh, namun sokongan PSM tetap teguh dan kami akan terus bersolidariti bersama komuniti LGBT.
(Kenyataan PSM bersempena Hari Wanita Antarabangsa 2021) oleh Chong Yee Shan
Sudah pun setahun sejak Perikatan Nasional (PN) menubuhkan kerajaan. Di bawah pentadbiran PN, kita menyaksikan beberapa kementerian gagal dalam menyediakan dasar-dasar yang bersesuaian dan penguatkuasaan undang-undang dalam banyak isu, khususnya berkaitan dengan gender. Bersempena dengan sambutan Hari Wanita Antarabangsa, Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) ingin menyeru, “Jangan tunggu lagi, bertindak sekarang juga!”
PSM mengemukakan cadangan-cadangan yang berikut:
Gubal Akta Gangguan Seksual
Dengan kesedaran masyarakat yang semakin meningkat mengenai gangguan seksual, sama ada secara lisan, visual, fizikal ataupun dikomunikasikan melalui penulisan atau secara elektronik, undang-undang dan dasar-dasar yang wujud sekarang ini untuk melindungi wanita dan golongan minoriti seksual adalah tidak mencukupi. Peruntukan undang-undang mengenai gangguan seksual yang sedia ada, seperti yang terkandung dalam Akta Pekerjaan, tidak dikuatkuasakan dengan baik dan gagal mewujudkan persekitaran kerja yang lebih selamat untuk wanita dan golongan minoriti yang lain. Oleh itu, adalah penting untuk menyediakan latihan yang lebih sensitif-gender bagi semua pihak berkuasa, pihak berkepentingan dan pengamal perubatan supaya memastikan penguatkuasaan yang tegas dengan mensasarkan sistem patriarki dan kesannya ke atas kedua-dua lelaki dan wanita. Hakikat mengenai pemeliharaan kekuasaan dan keistimewaan oleh kumpulan dominan perlu diketengahkan supaya wujudnya kerjasama antara kuasa-kuasa untuk menghapuskan sistem yang membiak ketidaksamarataan gender. Akta Gangguan Seksual adalah diperlukan untuk melindungi semua gender dan minoriti seksual di samping memastikan kebertanggungjawaban pihak-pihak yang berkenaan.
Hapuskan perkahwinan kanak-kanak
Kajian menunjukkan bahawa perkahwinan kanak-kanak berkaitan rapat dengan kemiskinan dan paling biasa berlaku di negara-negara termiskin di dunia. Walaupun negara Malaysia merupakan sebuah negara sedang membangun, kewujudan perkahwinan kanak-kanak menunjukkan kekurangan perhatian yang diberikan kepada kesan status sosio-ekonomi yang rendah terhadap isu-isu sosial. Kekurangan pendidikan seks, kekurangan kesedaran kanak-kanak dalam memberi persetujuan dan tanggapan tertentu dalam sesuatu sistem kebudayaan, merupakan sebahagian daripada contoh yang menyebabkan isu perkahwinan kanak-kanak masih wujud dan tertanam kuat dalam jurang perbezaan tahap sosio-ekonomi yang lebar. Apabila sumber kewangan adalah terhad dalam sesebuah keluarga, perkahwinan kanak-kanak dianggap sebagai satu cara untuk anak perempuan dijaga oleh sebuah keluarga yang lain. Terdapat bukti-bukti yang menunjukkan bahawa perempuan yang berkahwin muda adalah lebih cenderung menjadi miskin dan kekal berstatus rendah, khususnya apabila terpaksa mengekalkan peranan gender yang tradisional. Negara Malaysia telah meratifikasi Konvensyen Mengenai Penghapusan Segala Bentuk Diskriminasi Terhadap Wanita (CEDAW) dan Konvensyen Mengenai Hak Kanak-kanak (CRC), yang bertujuan untuk melindungi kanak-kanak dan kanak-kanak perempuan daripada perkahwinan kanak-kanak. Kerajaan harus membangunkan dasar-dasar di Malaysia untuk mematuhi garis panduan CEDAW dan CRC.
Pendapatan Asas Sejagat (UBI)
Pandemik COVID-19 telah memberi kesan kepada ramai wanita B40, khususnya ibu-ibu tunggal yang merupakan pencari nafkah tunggal dalam keluarga. Kekurangan sokongan kerajaan ditunjukkan dalam kisah-kisah ramai orang yang menghadapi kesusahan kerana kehilangan punca pendapatan.
Kerajaan PN telah membelanjakan wang dalam usaha untuk merangsang ekonomi. Namun, masih kurangnya perhatian kepada golongan yang terkesan teruk secara ekonomi. Isu ini dapat ditangani dengan respon kerajaan yang menyediakan skim Pendapatan Asas Sejagat (UBI) yang diubahsuai kepada sesiapa yang tidak mempunyai punca pendapatan pada masa kini. Ini adalah bertujuan untuk memastikan setiap orang di dalam negara kita dapat memperoleh makanan asas dan semua keperluan asas. Wanita dan kanak-kanak perempuan juga harus dilibatkan dalam sebarang proses membuat keputusan berkenaan dengan semua dasar ekonomi pada masa hadapan. Dalam jangka masa panjang, kerajaan harus membawa perubahan transformatif berkenaan dengan kerja penjagaan, berbayar dan tanpa bayaran. Tambahan pula, kerajaan harus memberi tumpuan kepada wanita dan kanak-kanak perempuan semasa menangani kesan sosio-ekonomi dengan lensa gender supaya golongan wanita dapat mencapai kesamarataan dan perlindungan sosial yang lebih besar.
Hak asasi manusia bagi golongan LGBTQI
Diskriminasi, pencabulan dan pemburuan sihir terhadap golongan LGBTQI sudah menjadi semakin serius di Malaysia. Pendirian kerajaan yang anti-LGBTQI ditunjukkan dalam tindakan ahli-ahli politik mengkambinghitamkan golongan LGBTQI, kerajaan yang nampaknya longgar membiarkan kumpulan-kumpulan konservatif untuk terus menggunakan bahasa dan tindakan yang anti-LGBTQI, secara langsungnya menyebabkan peningkatan dalam pencabulan dan pengucapan kebencian terhadap golongan LGBTQI.
Dalam setahun yang lepas, pemburuan sihir terhadap komuniti LGBTQI daripada beberapa pelaku dan pihak berkuasa telah meningkat. Komuniti LGBTQI hidup dalam ketakutan, dan mereka terbiar dalam situasi yang sangat terdedah kepada ancaman. Kerajaan harus menjadi teladan, dengan menghentikan segala bentuk pengucapan kebencian dan tindakan yang mensasarkan golongan LGBTQI, di samping segera mengambil langkah-langkah yang perlu untuk melindungi sesiapa yang diancam.
Sudah terlalu lama wanita diabaikan, dan mereka yang berkuasa, yang kebanyakannya golongan lelaki, enggan melihat isu-isu dengan menggunakan lensa gender. Kami berharap bahawa perjuangan wanita untuk kesamarataan telah mencetuskan kesedaran rakyat untuk membina sebuah gerakan menuju kesamarataan gender yang lebih besar dan menghentikan stereotaip gender, seksisme serta sistem patriarki. Kita harus berjuang untuk memadamkan peranan gender tradisional daripada pandangan kerajaan negara terhadap masyarakat. Ini bukan lagi abad ke-18 untuk golongan lelaki menikmati “keistimewaan” patriarki. Ini masanya untuk berkongsi secara bersama tanggungjawab penjagaan anak dan keluarga.
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Chong Yee Shan ialah Ahli Jawatankuasa Pusat Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) merangkap Penyelaras Biro Gender PSM.
Konvoi kereta PSM sempena Hari Wanita AntarabangsaJangan tunggu lagi, bertindak sekarang juga!
1,086 kasut dan selipar. Banyak compang-camping dan koyak
Mewakili 1,086 orang Myanmar yang dicekup jauh dari kehidupan yang mereka bina untuk diri mereka di Malaysia.
ChallengerMalaysia, MISI: Solidariti, Pemuda Sosialis dengan sokongan pelbagai NGO lain bersolidariti dengan 1,086 warga Myanmar yang dihantar pulang ke Myanmar pada 23 Februari 2021, dan secara tegas mengutuk tindakan Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia atas tindakan tersebut. Penghantaran ini tetap diteruskan walaupun Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur telah memutuskan penangguhan pelaksanaan bagi penghantaran warga-warga Myanmar pada pagi 23hb tersebut. Perbuatan ini juga tidak selari dengan prinsip non-refoulement dalam undang-undang antarabangsa.
Pada hari ini, 5 Mac 2021, organisasi yang disenaraikan di atas telah berkumpul di sini di Tasik Taman Jaya untuk meletakkan 1,086 pasang kasut ini bagi menggambarkan betapa ramai orang – lelaki, wanita, dan juga kanak-kanak di kalangan mereka seperti dilaporkan oleh Amnesty International Malaysia – mungkin telah dibinasakan oleh kerajaan Malaysia, ramai yang meninggalkan Myanmar dalam usaha mencari kehidupan yang lebih baik untuk diri mereka sendiri dan keluarga mereka.
Semua nyawa ini tidak boleh dikurangkan semata-mata kepada angka, hingga terputus dari realiti, jadi kita mesti melihat ruang yang mereka mungkin berdiri sekiranya mereka di sini. Walau bagaimanapun, ini tidak dapat menangkap imej kemanusiaan individu-individu ini; kasut-kasut ini tidak boleh menggambarkan siapa mereka sebagai seorang manusia: harapan mereka, impian mereka dan aspirasi mereka yang dimiliki oleh semua individu.
Menurut laporan Pesuruhjaya Tinggi Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu bagi Pelarian (UNHCR), terdapat pemohon suaka dalam kumpulan tersebut yang melarikan diri daripada kezaliman dan penindasan oleh kerajaan yang ingin melaksanakan dasar pembersihan etnik di Myanmar – suatu fakta yang dinafikan secara eksplisit oleh Jabatan Imigresen apabila mereka menyatakan bahawa pemohon suaka tidak tergolong dalam 1,086 orang yang dihantar pulang. Namun begitu, pihak berkuasa Malaysia tetap menghantar mereka pulang dalam apa yang hanya boleh digambarkan sebagai tindakan xenofobia yang tidak terkawal.
Dalam semangat memperjuangkan maruah dan hak asasi manusia, kami menyenaraikan empat tuntutan:
Tidak berkoperasi dengan kerajaan Tamatdaw
Kerajaan Tamatdaw yang mengawal Myanmar kini berada di kerusi kuasa tanpa pilihan yang demokratik dengan menggunakan kekerasan. Kerajaan tersebut mengekalkan kuasa mereka melalui cara autoritarian yang melibatkan keganasan dan membawa maut. Malaysia tidak patut dilihat mengiktiraf kerajaan ini – dalam perjanjian bilateral atau kerjasama dalam sebarang bentuk- yang menunjukkan sokongan terhadap kerajaan Tamatdaw
Akses terbuka ke pusat tahanan imigresen diberikan kepada Suruhanjaya Tinggi Pelarian Bangsa-Bangsa bersatu (UNHCR).
Kerajaan mesti membenarkan UNHCR mengakses pusat tahanan imigresen, untuk memastikan golongan yang ditahan yang terdedah secara khusus kerana status mereka sebagai minoriti yang dianiaya dan memberikan mereka perlindungan yang sepatutnya diberi di bawah hak manusia antarabangsa.
Moratorium bagi penghantaran pulang, tamatkan penahanan migran yang arbitrari dan tidak menentu.
Migran hendaklah dilindungi daripada serbuan tanpa sebab, penangkapan, dan penahanan hanya atas dasar status imigresen mereka. Amalan ini bukan sahaja tidak berperikemanusiaan, malah menceroboh hak mereka sebagai individu, serta mengakibatkan mereka untuk hidup sengsara dan menahan penderaan secara fizikal dan/atau lisan.
Sebagai lanjutan perkara di atas, kami menegaskan tuntutan agar mahkamah Malaysia memulakan semakan kehakiman terhadap kerajaan, Ketua Pengarah Imigresen Dzaimee Daud, dan Kementerian Hal Ehwal dalam Negeri atas dasar peranan mereka dalam tindakan hantar pulang ini, semasa perbicaraan yang akan berlangsung pada 9 Mac 2021.
Ketelusan penuh daripada Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia
Jabatan Imigresen mesti mengeluarkan data mengenai penahanan migran secara awam dan mudah diakses – termasuk tetapi tidak terhad kepada bilangan tahanan, diasingkan oleh jantina, kumpulan umur, dan kewarganegaraan; status pelarian; lokasi tempat di mana tahanan ditahan; tempoh masa tahanan yang dilaksanakan; sebab-sebab pelanjutan tahanan dan sebagainya.
Kami juga menuntut penjelasan daripada Jabatan Imigresen mengenai alasan di mana pemindahan migran dijalankan pada 23 Februari melanggar perintah mahkamah; mengapa baki 114 warga Myanmar tidak dihantar pulang, serta status semasa mereka.
Akhir kata, kami yang bersama-sama menandatangani, membangkang tindakan menghantar pulang warga Myanmar, dan menegaskan bahawa jenayah terhadap kemanusiaan ini tidak boleh diabaikan dan dilepas pandang begitu sahaja. Kita tidak boleh mengembalikan 1,086 orang, tetapi kami bertekad dan berazam untuk memastikan sejarah kezaliman ini tidak berulang lagi.
#MigranJugaManusia
Ditandatangani oleh:
Challenger Malaysia
MISI: Solidariti
Pemuda Sosialis
Demokrat Kebangsaan
Suaram
North South Initiative
Parti Sosialis Malaysia
Refuge for the Refugees
Beyond Borders
Tenaganita
Liberasi
Al-Hasan Volunteer Network
PSM is very concerned that the PN government has plans to resurrect the dead Goods and Services Tax regime to increase government revenue. The Deputy Finance Minister II Mohd Shahar Abdullah, over the past week has repeatedly floated the idea of resurrecting GST. He claims that the GST brought in RM 40 billion a year compared to the SST that only manages to collect RM 21 billion a year.
It’s despicable that the Deputy Minister is even considering the GST in times when the rakyat has lost jobs and income. The GST has proven to be a very regressive tax hitting hard on the working people. It increases their daily consumption cost. When GST was introduced in 1st April, 2015, it clearly led a significant increase on consumer goods prices. Has the PN forgotten that GST was one of the issues that caused the downfall of the Najib government in 2018?
The government’s immediate response to fall back on a consumer tax regime reveals their pro rich mentality that prevents them from even thinking of grazing the wealthy!
Wealth Tax – Has PN the guts to introduce it
Many renowned economists concurred with the idea that the wealthy should contribute more to revive the country out of the Covid19 induced economic crisis. Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, head of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network said that “We will need to tax high-net worth, especially after the current disaster,”
Instead PSM puts a challenge to the PN government to implement the much needed wealth tax. PSM is proposing a progressive wealth tax to cope the shortcoming to government revenue.
Wealth tax is a tax levied on the value of held assets where tax will be applicable to a variety of asset types including cash, bank deposits, shares, fixed assets, personal cars, assessed value of real property, pension plans, money funds, owner-occupied housing, and trusts. We propose this tax only on those that have a declared wealth of RM1 billion and above. It would be a progressive tax starting from 2% up top 10%.
It is calculated proportionately according to the tax bracket that they fall. For example a billionaire with an estimated net wealth worth of RM 4.34 billion, will pay only 2% for the first 2 billion and 4 % for the balance 2.34billion.
Thus if the government taxes the 50 wealthiest Malaysians progressively it will generate approximately RM 20 billion per year from the billionaires. Rest assured that, that no billionaire will be pushed to poverty if the tax system is introduced. With the global economic downturn due to the pandemic, the wealthy have limited avenues to invest in productive capital. Thus it payback time, as they and their business empires have enjoyed various governments business friendly incentives and tax holidays all these years.
We strongly condemn the PN government’s short sighted plan to reintroduce the GST and challenge them to make a bold move and introduce a much needed wealth tax on the Malaysian billionaires!
Local manufacturers of latex gloves Top Glove have shown themselves to be anti-worker. Over the past few weeks Top Glove has given us the largest Covid-19 cluster in Malaysia with more than 5,000 infections of Covid-19 amongst their workers, proven to provide appalling workers’ accommodation which led to The Labour Department opening 19 investigation papers in five states against them and even fired a worker who took a picture of the lack of social distancing within the company. The Teratai cluster has now resulted in the death of a security guard as well.
All of the above show the revolting true face of the company. Whilst basking in an era of increased profits of up to 400%, Top Glove has prioritised making money over taking care of its workers. If unofficial sources are to be believed, the working conditions in the company is similarly brutal, showing its success to be mainly for the fattening of capitalist pockets.
Top Glove is not the only company like this. Many firms that project a squeaky-clean image hide disturbing skeletons in their closets. Large multinational companies rely on underpaying and overworking their labour force to drive up profits. Even those that claim not to often utilise contract workers or subcontract out to vendor companies that do to lessen their costs. The exploitation of workers is the lifeblood by which our economy functions. The fact that we are integrated within the global supply chain has led to cheap labour being our selling point to attract investors. As such, the Malaysian labour force is condemned to be sold lock, stock and barrel to greedy companies looking for a profit.
Parti Sosialis Malaysia has seen time and again how our workers are treated inhumanely. We have stood with them at the forefront to organise them into functioning unions and have fought thousands of labour cases to force irresponsible employers to give the proper compensation to their employees. On the subject of migrant labour, we have seen how the companies that bring them in and state actors have collaborated to extract every last cent from migrant workers, from forcing them to live in cramped, unhygienic rooms to withholding their salaries for multiple months. Yet time goes by with practically no improvement.
How long are we to sell workers like cattle to capitalists? How long are we going to step upon the necks of migrant workers just to reap the benefits of their underpaid labour? Pemuda Sosialis is sickened, yet what is the use of appealing to an uncaring state which does nothing to remedy the situation? This is not even a dig on Perikatan Nasional, even Pakatan Harapan in 2018 gave the green light to Top Glove with then Minister of Human Resources, M. Kulasegaran, stating there was no evidence of worker exploitation in Top Glove.
Are we then to believe the appalling workers’ accommodations suddenly appeared between then and now? Or are we to believe that the same company, which has had many complaints on forced labour, has been treating their workers well?
Yet this is the reality of an economy wholly reliant on capital accumulation and the maximisation of profit. The billions of Ringgit generated do well to shield top executives from the cries of anguish of their workers. The very same billions then conveniently turn the authorities away from these atrocities to rubber stamp them instead.
Assuming a compliant government, the following steps must be taken against Top Glove:
1. Deadlines and Probationary Period
Top Glove must be given a deadline not more than 3 months to adequately improve their workers’ accommodations and be shown to ensure the compliance of all employees with Covid-19 SOPs. If they cannot meet this target, Top Glove’s operating license and land licenses for their facilities must be suspended until they can meet it.
Additionally, Top Glove must be put on a probationary period during which time random audits must be done to ensure the changes they have implemented are truly sustainable. An anonymous channel for their workers to give feedback during this period must be set up to identify internal pressure from management covering up labour abuses.
2. Push for Worker’ Involvement in Management
It is time that we understand without workers’ involvement in managing company decisions, their exploitation is imminent. For that, the workers themselves must be the owners of the means of production, otherwise known as the resources producing goods. When it comes to Top Glove, we must understand that to do away with top executives fattening their pockets with the exploitation of workers, they must not be the sole decision makers. Top Glove must be taken over and changed into a workers’ collective, for we have seen their management model failing to protect their workers properly.
Is this too far-fetched for us to imagine? We need not look too far for working examples. In Argentina exist worker-owned businesses of many types, from hotels to factories, that resulted from the occupy movement beginning in the late 90s which saw workers from retrenched businesses simply taking over the possession of properties and machinery to continue producing. They divided labour needs amongst themselves, organised production schedules and negotiated deals with customers all by themselves, proving there is no need for overbearing top executives for any essential activity other than to be leeching off their hard-earned profits. These workers collectively own the businesses, decide its direction together and easily work out salaries amongst themselves.
3. Invest in a Federal Jobs Guarantee Scheme
The state must understand how truly damaging Top Glove has been. They have worsened a public health crisis, indulged in human rights abuses and basked in profiteering off the pandemic, making millions they did not use to better Malaysian lives. This cannot continue, even a windfall tax is not enough.
That we have exposed our labour force to such manipulative parties warrant a deep introspection on how our economy functions. For us to ensure solid economic growth whilst minimising exploitation, there must an adequate Federal Jobs Guarantee scheme with set benefits and compensation for our workers. This way the usual threat used by private companies to keep workers silent against abuses, that of firing them, will no longer exist as the state guarantees work for those who are willing and able. Hence, there would be lesser prevalence of private abuses of workers.
With this in mind, we should not be so overburdened with the status quo to not realise the efficacy of the new. We should no longer keep up the pretence of private ownership, especially of large businesses, just to allow our workers to be treated like trash. It is time we do away with labour exploitation and, perhaps, Top Glove should be the first domino to fall.
Arveent Kathirtchelvan is the Head of the Science and Technology Bureau of Pemuda Sosialis, Parti Sosialis Malaysia
“Kami tidur dengan selamat kerana lelaki dan wanita yang bersedia pada waktu malam yang berjaga bertugas pada waktu malam untuk berdepan dengan keganasan yang akan mengancam kita.” – George Orwell
17 November 2020: Jaringan Pekerja Kontrak Kerajaan (JPKK) dan Kesatuan Pekerja-Pekerja Swasta Perkhidmatan Sokongan Di Hospital-Hospital Kerajaan Semenanjung Malaysia tidak bersetuju dengan Belanjawan 2021 yang dibentangkan di Parlimen oleh Kerajaan Persekutuan Malaysia pada 6 November 2020 kerana Belanjawan 2021 telah mengabaikan frontliner atau barisan depan yang memerangi wabak COVID-19. Kami mendesak Kerajaan Persekutuan Malaysia untuk menggolongkan semua kakitangan yang berada di barisan depan pertempuran melawan pandemik COVID-19 agar segera dalam Belanjawan 2021, tanpa mengira kelas, pekerjaan, nilai, atau asal usul mereka.
Pekerja pembersih di hospital, anggota keselamatan sekolah, dan tukang kebun yang mempertaruhkan nyawa mereka setiap hari di barisan depan untuk melawan wabak COVID-19 diabaikan dalam Belanjawan 2021 kerana sistem kontrak pekerjaan mereka. Mereka tidak dianggap sebagai frontliner oleh Kerajaan Malaysia kerana mereka diupah oleh pihak ketiga untuk bantuan sokongan di premis Kerajaan. Oleh demikian, mereka tidak layak dilindungi dengan Elaun Khas COVID-19 sebanyak RM600 sebulan (sehingga wabak tersebut berjaya diatasi) dan pembayaran sekali RM500 sebagai penghargaan atas sumbangan oleh barisan hadapan Kementerian Kesihatan (KKM).
Semasa ucapan Belanjawan 2021 di Parlimen, Menteri Kewangan Malaysia, YB Senator Tengku Dato’ Sri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz berkata, “Kerajaan menghargai usaha dan pengorbanan barisan hadapan dalam memerangi wabak COVID-19 ini.” Walau bagaimanapun, pengecualian barisan depan, wira dan wirawati seperti pekerja pembersih di hospital, anggota keselamatan sekolah, dan tukang kebun yang dilupakan dari Belanjawan 2021 bertentangan dengan ucapann beliau dan juga nilai teras pertama Belanjawan 2021 Kerajaan Persekutuan iaitu untuk Melindungi Kesejahteraan Rakyat.
Selain itu, para wira dan wirawati kita yang dilupai terdedah kepada risiko penularan COVID-19 setiap hari kerana kekurangan Peralatan Pelindung Diri (PPE) seperti topeng muka, pelindung muka, sarung tangan, dan lain-lain ketika mereka bekerja di hospital dan sekolah . Dengan menyediakan PPE kepada pembersih hospital, anggota keselamatan sekolah, dan tukang kebun juga membantu mencegah / menghentikan penyebaran COVID-19 kepada anggota keluarga mereka dan orang lain. Ia dapat membantu meratakan lengkung kadar jangkitan (flatten the curve). Kerajaan Malaysia memperuntukkan sejumlah RM318 juta untuk pembelian PPE dalam Belanjawan 2021, namun kesihatan pekerja pembersih hospital, anggota keselamatan sekolah, dan tukang kebun ini tidak berada di bawah kuasa Kerajaan Persekutuan. Sebabnya, mereka bukan sebahagian daripada penjawat awam tetapi pekerja kontrak yang diupah oleh pihak ketiga. PPE mereka berada di bawah tanggungjawab syarikat kontrak mereka. Oleh itu, langkah-langkah pemotongan kos mungkin tidak dapat dihindari untuk perniagaan, sedangkan Kerajaan dapat memusatkan perhatian pada kos sosial untuk rakyatnya tanpa mematuhi sifat untung dan rugi oleh suatu perniagaan.
Menurut laporan kami, masalah penswastaan sistem sokongan untuk premis Kerajaan merangkumi pembayaran gaji lewat, pembuangan kerja secara tidak adil, tiada kenaikan gaji, dan lain-lain. Penswastaan tidak menyelesaikan masalah penjimatan kos untuk perbelanjaan Kerajaan tetapi memindah masalah tersebut kepada kos sosial seperti masalah kesihatan dan pertikaian di tempat kerja yang memerlukan lebih banyak sumber dari Kerajaan. Sudah tentu, pandemik COVID-19 memperburukkan masalah ini apabila wira dan wirawati kita yang dilupakan tidak dilindungi.
JPKK berkomitmen untuk mengembalikan semua pekerja kontrak di premis Kerajaan untuk menjadi sebahagian daripada penjawat awam sebelum Jun 2021. Seperti yang dikatakan oleh Geoge Orwell, “Kami tidur dengan selamat kerana lelaki dan wanita yang bersedia pada waktu malam untuk berdepan dengan keganasan yang akan mengancam kita.” Kami belum terlambat untuk memasukkan “lelaki dan wanita” dan wira-wirawati kita yang dilupa untuk kembali ke dalam bab buku sejarah kami yang akan dibaca oleh anak-anak kita, mengenai wira dan wirawati kita ketika kita mengalahkan wabak COVID-19!
Kami mendesak Kerajaan Persekutuan Malaysia, Perdana Menteri Malaysia, Menteri Kewangan Malaysia, Menteri Pendidikan Malaysia, dan Menteri Sumber Manusia untuk menggolongkan semua kakitangan yang berada di barisan depan pertempuran melawan pandemik COVID-19 agar segera dalam Belanjawan 2021, tanpa mengira kelas, pekerjaan, nilai, atau asal usul mereka.
Sekian
Dikeluarkan oleh,
1.Jaringan Pekerja Kontrak Kerajaan (JPKK) &
2. Kesatuan Pekerja-Pekerja Swasta Perkhidmatan Sokongan Di Hospital-Hospital Kerajaan Semenanjung Malaysia
Hubungi: Wing Hoong (+60 11 5636 8136)
Pemuda Sosialis notes the recent developments with regards to funding Budget 2021 both from Wan Fayhsal and Syed Saddiq. Wan Fayhsal has floated the idea of BNM printing more money and distributing directly to Malaysians (helicopter money monetary policy, according to the Deputy Minister) coupled with a debt forgiveness scheme.
Pemuda Sosialis appreciates this refreshing change of policy for the Malaysian government, which is seeming to be moving towards lesser reliance on debt-constrained government spending. PSM similarly has pushed for Debt Monetisation to increase the government’s cash-in-hand.
“Debt monetization” is a strategy that is being used by several governments including Indonesia, India, Japan and New Zealand in which the government sells Government Securities to its own Central Bank but at very low interest rates (perhaps 0.1%). This strategy provides government with the extra funds that it needs in a crisis situation without the disadvantage of committing the country to high interest payments in the future.
At this juncture, Pemuda Sosialis would like to explain why we are spearheading this manner of liquidity creation rather than relying on taxation alone.
Whilst it is a socialist ideal to have better, more progressive taxation policies, with greater income taxation for the rich and the introduction of taxes on wealth, inheritance and capital gains, we understand that as a trade nation with an economy reliant on the private sector for now, there is little room to manoeuvre in the implementation of these taxes. We must not be so naïve to think the wealthy capitalists would sit idly by as their profits are taxed. Surely, they would use the Free Trade Agreements we have signed to relocate their businesses or even fund counter movements to undermine these efforts.
Pemuda Sosialis believes that whilst pushing for better taxation, the government must slowly increase its influence in the economy to decrease the reliance on private hands. In that way, any threat of capital flight is diminished as the economy would better survive the impact and laws for good governance, taxation and even complete unionisation can be passed more reliably. Through strategies such as debt monetisation, liquid capital can be made available which, with clever and visionary investment in the local economy, lead to fruitful outcomes in the future.
In this sense, a government’s limit on spending is the rate of inflation, which should be outpaced through economic growth. This way a sluggish economy is accelerated to becoming stable (say, at the point full employment is reached), at which point taxation can come in to limit money circulation and provide for government income.
However, Pemuda Sosialis would like to caution the Deputy Minister on how he plans to use this newly printed money. Whilst handing out hard-cash to the people seems an acceptable way, we would hasten to point out that simply doing this will only further the dominance of the private sector, especially MNCs, as the money would be spent to on goods and services owned primarily by these.
This is why PSM points out that the government must take a leading role in the economy as the private sector has shown itself to be incapable of creating the job opportunities needed with adequate job security, remuneration and benefits. Moreover, the political influence private hands have due to a concentration of capital is undesirable as it may impair the democratic will of the people through political manipulation.
In line with this, amongst others, PSM has suggested government-led investments in expanding food agriculture, expanding healthcare facilities, improving social housing for young families especially from the B20, increasing renewable energy, better our solid waste program and cleaning up our rivers. These foci would at the same time create jobs, deepen state-ownership of key industries and improve the lives of the many holistically. Pemuda Sosialis would also add that a Jobs Guarantee Scheme and a modified UBI would be our thrusts for spending as well.
Hence, an important question we must address is, would this Perikatan Nasional government spend the money they are planning to create properly? Our views of the Budget 2021, which can be read here, finds their analysis and spending plans largely lacking and unreliable. Just from a jobs-creation angle alone, Pemuda Sosialis believes that it is over-reliant on the private sector, with a focus on creating incentives rather than direct creation of new industries. With this, then, Pemuda Sosialis concludes that whilst Wan Fayhsal’s approach to create liquid capital is acceptable, the plans his government have to spend it would only lead to more problems later on.
We must, however, applaud his idea of a debt jubilee. In these times of strife, banks have continued to profit in the hundreds of millions whilst people have lost their livelihoods. It is only right that these banks introduce debt forgiveness schemes that eliminates the debt of certain groups (in the form of loans or mortgages) to alleviate their burden. What more, many banks are actually GLCs, hence have a greater responsibility to the people than most companies. In fact, moving forward, Pemuda Sosialis would like to suggest mobilising GLCs away from their profit-accumulating motive and channel the capital they create to funding further job creation and industry growth.
An associated idea we must congratulate belongs to MUDA and Syed Saddiq who suggested a windfall tax be levied on businesses that have profited the most during the pandemic. Glove manufacturers mainly have profited many times over and, as before, it is only natural that they should give a greater percentage of their windfall for improvements elsewhere. Pemuda Sosialis would like to back this idea to generate more capital as well.
