‘Find solutions to woes facing Sabah Forest Industries workers’
Published on: Friday, May 12, 2023
Learning session of some preschoolers at Tabika Perpaduan SFI which started on Wednesday being operated without electricity and water supply.
SIPITANG: The Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS)-led State government has been urged to hold an engagement session with Sabah Forest Industries (SFI) workers immediately to discuss issues raised by them including disconnection of their water and power supply.
Warisan Sipitang division head Abd Aziz Taip he said the State government should establish a SFI Consultation and Resolution Committee in finding solutions to the problems faced by the former staff.
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“Currently the are affected due to Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd’s (SESB) electricity supply being cut since May 2, resulting in over 2,000 including families and children living in the dark due to the lack of electricity and water supply.
Aziz said GRS also needs to clarify the planning status of Sabah Forest Industries Sdn Bhd (SFI) as stated in 2022.
He said it is important that there is a guarantee that SFI staff would be re-employed under the sustainable forest timber utilisation, processing, management, conservation research and development scheme.
He also urged the State Government to remove the status of the SFI Complex area which includes housing areas, school, playgrounds and masjid from the concession ownership of land owned by SFI as alleged to have been handed over to certain parties.
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“After the SFI complex area is completely under the state government, then the SESB and the Sabah State Water Department (JANS) should be brought to the negotiating table to come up with a solution to provide individual meters to each premise.
He said Warisan hoped the act of leaving the residents without electricity and water is not aimed at ``forcing’’ them to vacate the land.
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The hands-off attitude of the, elected people representatives of Sindumin, Member of Parliament for Sipitang and other government leaders are very much regretted,” he said.
On Jan 18, this year, Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Abidin Madingkir had said the State Government has taken actions out of compassion to help the plight of former SFI workers since 2019 and during the Covid-19 pandemic.
This included payment of their salaries and the Employee Provident Fund (EPF), with the latest being payment of some RM798,000 on electricity bills incurred by the former SFI workers.
“While the State Government empathises with their plight, it is not sustainable for the government to solve their predicament in the long run,” said Abidin.
The workers, he said, have been laid off by their former employer, India-based pulp, and paper manufacturer Ballarpur Industries Ltd which has been in Receivership since 2017.
Pending the reactivation of the mill by a new concessionaire, the former workers have been advised to look at the matter realistically, to move on and to seek alternative employment.
The State Government had imposed a conditional requirement for the new concessionaire to set up operations within two years, said Abidin, adding the former workers may apply to work in the new company.
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