The establishment of the Assar Senari group of companies has been for good cause – to create business opportunities and bring in investors for the benefits of Sarawak’s economy as well as to create employment for Sarawakians. As fellow Sarawakians, we are proud to have contributed to the progress of the group. Most of all, we are glad for the strong support of our state government towards the development of Assar Senari Group.

However, we are deeply affected by a statement which was published by the Borneo Post on Oct 1. It gives an unfair representation of the ex-Assar Senari employees. The restructuring exercise involving the Voluntary Separation Scheme (VSS) is obviously a forced option for the employees. The few who have refused the VSS offer were issued immediately with termination letters stating clearly the exercise was enforced due to redundancy.

The group’s healthy financial position as remarked in the press statement could not be attainable if not for the hard work and commitment put in by the so-called 110 ‘bad’ workers. The group will not even survive if 110 out of the 130 employees (as 20 are maintained) are ‘bad’ workers.

It also makes no sense that about 85% of the employees from the office boy to the management level retrenched are ‘bad’ workers when the group is getting more and more projects. Obviously, the group has the confidence of the shareholders because of the support and commitment of the employees.

If these employees are ‘bad’ workers, then how is it possible that the group has successfully embarked and managed new projects for the last few years? Obviously, the top leader has been incorrectly informed of the details of group including the VSS and the way it has been handled and executed.

The VSS exercised by the group to clean up 85% of the so-called ‘bad’ employees at all levels is rather unusual for any restructuring exercise. In all organizations, even in the public sector, there are bound to be bad workers or non-performers. Normally, steps will be taken to address or rectify any problem or issues relating to employees in the company through disciplinary and domestic inquiries.

In this context, the mechanism is in place to handle employee problems or issues such as taking disciplinary action including dismissal to remove the bad workers rather than retrenching 85% of the staff. It is inconceivable that 85% of the employees were retrenched on the premise of the existence of these few ‘bad’ workers.

The Assar Senari Group, being a government-linked company should set the example of rewarding those staff that served the group well, but instead, the new management has resorted to drastic, insensitive and discriminatory actions which clearly demonstrate a lack of good management practice, sound professionalism and transparency.

This VSS exercise by the new management has been carried out without proper consultation and open dialogue with the employees and seems to be hiding behind the veil of their intentions to get rid of workers hastily.

Why should the innocent good workers bear the consequences of this ‘restructuring’ exercise? The ex-employees of the group are already victims of this ‘restructuring’ and this misrepresented and generalised statement has indeed saddened us as it further affects our future prospects.