var comments = {"total":"7","items":[{"id":"28563","storyid":"118165","author":"Love 1 Malaysia","userid":"70346","date":"1259486841","content":"In Sabah and Sarawak the average wage for the majority of oilpalm workers is RM300 - RM450.00 per month. well below the hardcore poor line. Sabah and Sarawak has the most number of hardcore poor in Malaysia but their leaders are ashame to admit it because it show their failure to uplift the living standard in Sabah and Sarawak. If PM Najib does not beleive this he should the oilpalm workers in Sabah and Sarawak. We do not want PM Najib to come to Sabah and Sarawak on guided tours by the BN leaders.","icon":"![\"usericon\"](\"http:\/\/comments.malaysiakini.com\/images\/defaulticon.jpg?1260090902\")
"},{"id":"27357","storyid":"118165","author":"karrlos","userid":"36920","date":"1259034108","content":"sahabans wake up to decimate this dompok who is robbing the poor people in sabah","icon":""},{"id":"27307","storyid":"118165","author":"TONY","userid":"961","date":"1259023395","content":"I think Dompok has been misquoted. He meant 1700 rupiahs a month since most plantation workers are Indonesians.","icon":""},{"id":"27304","storyid":"118165","author":"Baffled","userid":"25692","date":"1259022029","content":"A harvester is the highest paid field worker in a plantation. If we r looking to the welfare of the general workers, it is unfair to use a harvester's wages as the benchmark. Nonetheless, a harvester is not so highly paid that RM1.7k a month is common. This is only possible if CPO prices are good n workers are few and the plantations are fighting each other for workers (or ask a neighbouring field's harvester to bring in their harvest to one's own). Not every harvester, no matter how productive, can earn RM1.7k month in month out. RM1.2k is a more realistic figure for a productive harvester. \n\nThe deputy minister himself quoted RM1.2k but even that figure may not be realistic at RM2k per tonne of CPO price as the worker will need to work round the clock almost 7 days a week and even then, if the trees themselves are not yielding well, RM1.2k is not achievable. These ppl are not sitting in the office but doing manual labour non-stop. Realistic to expect 24\/7 productivity? U tell me.","icon":""},{"id":"27297","storyid":"118165","author":"Brad Lee","userid":"42260","date":"1259000822","content":"Hamzah Zainuddin, people don't know you but I know you. You and your corrupted cohorts have been doing a lot of deals behind the scene. People who are corrupt and tell lies will be cursed. Either you or your family members will suffer much greater pain than what you have inflicted onto others due to your greed. You are a typical Umno asshole. I hope the people of Perak will come to their senses and send you into oblivion in the next election. I will spit when you walk by and at your grave too when you die!","icon":""},{"id":"27283","storyid":"118165","author":"Truman","userid":"67200","date":"1258991913","content":"Most of these workers are not Malaysian. If we compare their salary with their own homeland, their income are definitely well above poverty line in their standard. We are here basically talking about foreign workers, I don think there are many Malaysian would want to work as plantation worker.","icon":""},{"id":"27282","storyid":"118165","author":"Sabahan","userid":"4405","date":"1258991410","content":"Just ask any plantaion worker in Sabah. We will be surpised if they earn more than RM 400 a month. Bernard Dompok is out of touch with reality.","icon":""}]};