Court orders man be rehired, with back pay

JOHOR BARU: A former worker from the Pontian health department, whose employment was terminated seven years ago, was all smiles when the High Court here ordered that he be reinstated to his old job.

Sazalee Abd Rahman, 42, said the last seven years had been a “dark and trying period” for him as he was the sole breadwinner of his family, taking care of his wife, three young children and an elderly mother.

“My life was a mess as I had to do odd jobs to survive. I even had to sell my car and motorcycle to put food on the table,” he said after he was informed by his lawyer, G. Subramaniam Nair, that the judge had ruled in his favour.

Sazalee said he had been working with a courier company for the last two years.

He added that he would wait for his reappointment letter from the Health Ministry and said he would work hard at his department.

He said he had worked for 11 years at the department, adding that he was also presented with an award for being an outstanding employee.

Asked as to how he will be spending his back wages, Sazalee said he would allocate some to his lawyer, who has been with him for several years.

He said the decision also helped clear his name of any wrongdoing.

Judge Noor Hisham Ismail ruled in Sazalee’s favour and ordered that the plaintiff’s backdated wages and other benefits be paid from Jan 19, 2017.