MTUC president and EPF Board member Senator Zanal Rampak should have made time to attend the EPF board meeting under any circumstances which declared the lowest dividend in 40 years of 4.25 per cent for the year 2002, an opposition party leader said today.

As the chief representative of the 10.3 million EPF contributors, Zainal should have ensured that there is nothing in the world which could prevent him from attending the crucial EPF board meeting deciding o­n the dividend for last year, said DAP chairperson Lim Kit Siang.

"If Zainal cannot spare o­ne day for the 10.3 million EPF contributors to attend the most important EPF Board meeting for the year, isn't it time for him to resign as EPF Board member to give way to another MTUC leader who could devote time to defend the interests of the EPF contributors at EPF Board meetings?" argued Lim in a press statement.

He urged Zainal to take up the invitation to attend a public forum "Lowest dividend in 40 years - what is the future of EPF" tomorrow night at the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall in Kuala Lumpur to explain himself.

"The invitation to attend the public forum remains open for him to defend his credibility as a member of the EPF Board," he said.

The public forum - organised by DAP- will be attended by among others Cuepacs president N. Siva Subramaniam, MTUC secretary-general G. Rajasekaran and Suhakam commissioner Hamdan Mohd Adnan

Invitations have also been extended to Acting Finance Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and EPF Chairman Abdul Halim Ali.

No good reason

In his statement, Lim also said that Zanial's off-handed explanation that he could not attend the important EPF board meeting o­n the EPF dividend last year because he was attending the International Labour Organisation (ILO) governing body meeting in Geneva was not good enough.

"Wasn't Zainal aware that the EPF Board meeting was going to make the important decision o­n the EPF dividend for last year, and was he unaware that the 10.3 million EPF contributors were worried that they would not be getting a fair and reasonable return for their EPF savings?"

"Zainal has no reason to be unaware of these concerns as enough warnings had been given by ministers and EPF officials that the EPF dividend for last year was going to be lower than the previous year."

"In fact, in October last year, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had already hinted that EPF contributors would be getting a lower dividend payout for the year," he said.

In any event, Lim added, the ILO governing body does not meet for o­ne day o­nly, but for three weeks.

No credibility

Zainal owes EPF contributors a clear explanation as to why he could not ensure o­ne-day attendance at the important meeting when he can spend three weeks in Geneva.

He said Zainal should realise that it was more important to attend the meeting and mobilize other Board members representing workers to convince them of the injustice of declaring the lowest dividend in 40 years of 4.25 per cent

As to Zainal's call for workers to picket in protest of the poor pay-out, Lim said instead of calling for the picket, Zainal should have instead commission an independent inquiry into the mismanagement and malgovernance of EPF, whether o­n investments or loan disbursements.

"In fact, what is Zainal's credibility to call for MTUC to picket against the lowest dividend in 40 years when he was so irresponsible as to be absent from the crucial EPF Board meeting deciding o­n the dividend?," Lim asked.