Syed Shahir beats off strong challenge to retain MTUC post

PETALING JAYA: Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud fended off a strong challenge from his deputy to retain his post as president of the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC). 

Syed Shahir garnered 278 votes at the MTUC triennial elections yesterday to beat Shafie B.P. Mamal by 43 votes. 

G. Rajasekaran, who got 259 votes, was re-elected secretary-general, narrowly defeating vice-president (private sector) Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid, 45, of Club Employees Union Peninsular Malaysia, by four votes. 

Syed Shahir said what was on top of the agenda now was to bring the union together in its pursuit for better working conditions for about 750,000 members nationwide. 

The winners: (From left) Mohd Khalid, Syed Shahir and Rajasekaran celebrating theirvictory after the results were announced Tuesday.

“My first task is to bring the MTUC together as a united congress and then work on getting labour issues sorted out. 

“One of the main issue is to get the Government to stop employers from employing foreign workers because the locals are losing their jobs to foreigners.” 

This was one of the main resolutions passed at the MTUC’s triennial delegates conference attended by about 140 unions. 

“The influx of foreign workers, who are willing to work for substandard pay, only serves to artificially dampen the wages of hard-working Malaysians. 

“It is important for Malaysia to stay competitive and there are Malaysians who will work in menial jobs if the Government introduces the minimum wage of RM900 per month,” Syed Shahir added. 

Other issues that dominated the conference, attended by about 600 delegates, were minimum wage, rising cost of living, retirement age and amendments to the labour laws. 

Syed Shahir said he hoped to meet the Prime Minister to resolve these outstanding issues. 

“We have written to the Prime Minister’s Office and the Human Resources Ministry and are still waiting for a positive reply.” 

The MTUC, he said, would continue to oppose the labour law amendments passed in Parliament in July. 

The others elected were deputy president Mohd Khalid Atan; vice presidents A. Balasubramaniam, Naim Shukri Mohamed, Mustapha Maarof, Nordin Ahmad, Abdul Razak Abdul Hamid (all private sector), Zainal Ismail, Indraputra Ismail and Mohd Noor Abdullah (statutory body); deputy secretary general Abdul Halim Mansor; financial secretary Samuel Devadason; and deputy financial secretary Jimmy Tong Yee Shen.