AN MCA Youth leader has slammed the government for its failure to pay the salaries of part-time workers at public broadcasting station Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) since June.
Calling the situation “absolutely absurd”, MCA Youth secretary-general Saw Yee Fung said the failure is unacceptable as it directly impacts the livelihoods of hundreds of families.
“Not only should the government account for these employees but it must also provide a clear explanation to the entire nation,” she said in a statement on Tuesday (Aug 20).
“Paying employee salaries (and ensuring that they are paid on time) are fundamental responsibilities of any employer including the government.
“How could such a scandal over unpaid wages erupt at RTM, a government agency? The government must immediately investigate and clarify the reasons for the wage arrears.”
On Monday (Aug 19) The Malaysian Insight reported that part-time workers at RTM had not been paid since June.
The report quoted sources who indicated that there are more than 700 part-time employees nationwide who were hired for various tasks on a piecemeal basis.
According to Saw, the government and RTM cannot merely be satisfied at issuing statements after the issue was exposed and promising to clear all arrears.
“Such statements do not address the concerns and instead heighten doubts about the administrative and financial capabilities of both the government and RTM,” she added.
Saw was referring to a statement issued by RTM’s broadcasting director-general Datuk Suhaimi Sulaiman on X yesterday that the Finance Ministry is in the final stages of approving a special payment rate for the affected part-timers.
In the statement, Suhaimi said the national broadcaster had previously submitted an application to the ministry following the cancellation of all previous approvals by the ministry in a letter dated June 24, which affected procurement rates for non-civil servants.
He said with the ministry’s approval, payments for part-time services will be more organised and will adhere to government procurement procedures, adding that all outstanding payments for part-time employees will be cleared by the end of this month.
“The government needs to clarify which procedure went wrong. If there was indeed a procedural issue, why was RTM unable to pay its part-timers for three months despite having to disburse employee salaries monthly?” Saw questioned.
“Was there a persistent problem with the previous procedures? If the issue was caused by human factors, there must be a system of accountability to address this flaw.
“Meanwhile, RTM claims it was awaiting funds from the Finance Ministry. Is there a problem with finances within the government? If so, the government must publicly declare it.
“Otherwise, public doubt will arise as to how the government will cover these unpaid salaries and manage the additional RM10 bil expenditure resulting from the pay hike for civil servants.”
On Aug 16, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced a 15% pay raise for civil servants under the management and professional category and a 7% salary increase for those in upper management.
The pay raise, said Anwar, would be given to civil servants in two phases.
For civil servants under the management and professional category, officers would receive an 8% raise in the first phase of implementation on December 1 and a 7% raise in the second phase on January 1, 2026.
Civil servants in the upper management category would receive a 4% raise in the first phase on December 1 and a 3% raise in the second phase on January 1, 2026. – Aug 20, 2024
