Fulfil election promise, BN told

Opposition MPs take the government to task for breaking its own election manifesto on granting permanent employment status to contracted civil servants.

KUALA LUMPUR: A group of opposition MPs took the government to task for not keeping up with its promise to convert 49,000 contracted civil servants status to permanent employment.

Saying that this was akin to trampling their rights, the MPs said this is despite 100,000 positions being vacant in the civil sector.

Quoting a written reply by the Minister in the Prime Minister Department Shahidan Kassim, P Kasthuri (DAP-Batu Kawan) said the government has revealed that it did not have any plans to convert the employment status of 49,000 contract staff in the civil service.

This, she said is despite the Barisan Nasional election pledge that the status of the contract civil servants would be converted to permanent employment if the ruling coalition won the polls.

“This is a clear indication that they have no respect for workers’ rights, it is also a clear reflection of a promise unfulfilled,” said the DAP lawmaker.

The contracted civil servants receive little or no social insurance benefits because their contracts are renewed on a yearly basis.

Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid (PKR-Abdullah Sani) said it was absurd for the government to re-appoint the contracted civil servant every year and deny them permanent employment status.

“If they are redundant, if they are not up to the mark, why reappoint them for 3 years, 5 years or even 10 years?” asked the PKR parliamentarian.

Meanwhile, V Sivakumar (DAP-Batu Gajah) pointed out that some 200 interim teachers attached with the Tamil schools are facing the same plight of not being given permanent status.

He urged the education minister to look into their plight.