The series of strikes and mini-riots by foreign workers in the past weeks due to dissatisfaction against the implementation of minimum wage are set to escalate into a mega rally this Sunday, and followed by a massive strike.

As many as 30,000 to 40,000 Nepalese workers in Johor's furniture industry are alleged to be joining the rally and strike in Muar.

All major Chinese newspapers today have highlighted an urgent dialogue called by the police and the Johor human resources department to discuss the matter with over 100 furniture manufacturers yesterday in Muar.

The meeting has since come out with six measurements, including the deployment of the riot police, setting up of roadblocks, and putting up notices of illegal assembly in the factories in attempts to prevent the mega rally and any possible riots.

Nanyang Siang Pau quoted police sources as saying that several leaders in charge of the rally have been calling on Nepalese workers to attend the rally through the distribution of leaflets and messages in the Nepali language.

The rally is scheduled to be held at 11am at a hotel in Muar town, where the organiser has booked a whole floor as their rally point.

If the rally failed to reach a satisfactory outcome, they would proceed with a massive strike, the Chinese daily reported.

Muar human resources department director Shafee Mohd Noh revealed that the rally organiser has informed the department that participants will gather at the Muar bridge and another shopping mall to discuss the minimum wage policy, as well as other problems faced by the foreign workers.

"However, with the detention of several 'leaders', the rally in the hotel has been cancelled. But we still worry that the foreign workers will hold mega rallies at other venues," he was quoted as saying.

Shafee suggested that employers prolong the working hours of foreign workers, and hold gotong-royongs or organise feasts in the factories to stop them from joining the rally.

Oriental Daily News reported that there are some 700 furniture manufacturing factories in Muar which depend heavily on foreign workers.

During the dialogue, one employer claimed that she had been told by her foreign workers that a labour group was behind the rally and a recent riot in a furniture factory.

The group has been recruiting foreign workers as its members with a monthly fee of RM7, said the employer, who demanded for the police to investigate the matter.

The government's dilemma

Muar Furniture Association vice-president Poh Leong Yah blamed the government for failing to give clear instructions on the amendments of the minimum wage policy - thus resulting in different salary schemes being used by different employers - which has only served to frustrate the workers.

The government was caught in a dilemma after the mandatory RM900 per month minimum wage for the peninsular and RM800 for Sabah and Sarawak, which covers both local and foreign workers, had been implemented on Jan 1.

It has been backtracking on the policy after receiving strong objections from small- and medium-enterprises (SMEs) which claimed that the policy could put them out of business.

The cabinet had then decided on Jan 30 that foreign workers who also enjoy the benefits of the minimum wage will have to pay their levy fees , which had been previously borne by their employers.

It also relaxed the policy to allow SMEs which cannot afford the minimum wage to apply for a one-year deferment .

The compromise, however, was not welcomed by the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) and other groups which represented workers, who have urged the government not to budge on the policy.