Over 100 ex-workers from two Kumpulan Guthrie Berhad plantations in Sungai Siput, Perak, converged outside Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's office in Putrajaya Wednesday morning to submit a memorandum outlining their housing woes.

The 28-page document, prepared by the Ladang Kamiri and Changkat Salak ex-workers committee, pleaded for Abdullah's intervention with Guthrie to help reach a fair solution to long-standing housing and compensation problems.

Ladang Sg Kamiri is in Sungai Siput while Changkat Salak is about 20km north.

Besides asking the prime minister to mediate a negotiation with Guthrie, the 36 ex-rubber tappers want him to advise Guthrie to immediately postpone the hearing of an eviction case next Tuesday at the Ipoh High Court.

They also want Guthrie to offer a more reasonable compensation, given the fact that they have worked at the plantations for three generations.

30 families affected

The memorandum was received by the office of Abdullah's aide Dr Vincent Lim, who promised the 12 representatives who met him that he will forward their demands.

When contacted, social activist Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj who led the delegation to Putrajaya, said about 30 families or over 200 people were affected by the eviction attempts after Guthrie replanted the rubber trees with oil palm.

"More than 100,000 Malaysians plantation workers are affected by ongoing changes in the plantation sector, especially estates that are being re-developed or undergoing re-planting," he said.

"It is imperative for the government to come up with some form of safety net to cushion the adverse effects instead of talking about social problems when an increasing number of workers are being displaced and uprooted."

Jeyakumar, who is pro tem vice-president of Parti Sosialis Malaysia, said the plantation giant's land bank in Sungai Siput alone was about 12,000 acres.

"It only needs to set aside four for these 30 ex-workers from the two estates."

Jeyakumar said the last meeting with Guthrie was in May last year, before the parties reached a deadlock.

RM320 a year

Guthrie's offer for compensation covers 20 working days for each year of service, based on the minimum rate provided under the Employment Act.

Based on the ex-workers' daily wage of between RM14 and RM17, the offer totals about RM320 a year.

"A worker who has been working for 30 years would only be offered RM9,600 as compensation for termination of service," said Jeyakumar.

As no compensation was offered for loss of estate housing and common facilities such as temples and community halls, the ex-workers want Guthrie to re-negotiate the terms.

"The issue here is one of moral obligation, not a legal one," he added.

Since 2000, the ex-workers have repeatedly asked the Perak government for help, particularly two exco members - Chang Ko Youn and G Rajoo - to help arrange a dialogue with Guthrie.

Chang is also state assemblyperson for Jalong, where the estate are located. Both failed due to Guthrie's refusal to respond.

Attempts to meet the Perak chief minister Tajol Rosli Ghazali, through 15 letters, have failed to evoke any response.

In a meeting chaired by Guthrie chairperson Musa Hitam in early April this year, both parties were advised to continue with negotiations until a solution is found.

However, Guthrie refused to budge from its original compensation offer in a subsequent meeting, effectively ending the negotiation process.

All parties could not be reached for comments at press time.