The National Union of Bank Employees (Nube) has filed for legal action against former Maybank chief executive officer Abdul Wahid Omar and two other senior officials from the bank for firing two Nube leaders early last year.

NONE On Jan 31 last year, when Abdul Wahid who is Minister in the Prime Minister's Department was still the CEO of the bank, Maybank sacked Abdul Jamil Jalaludeen and Chen Ka Fatt, Nube’s vice-president and general treasurer respectively, for holding a banner that carried the words “Maybank robs poor Malaysian workers” while attending the International Labour Organisation’s convention in Geneva.

The case was filed by the Northern Region division of Nube against Abdul Wahid and his colleagues- bank's human resources head Nora And Manaf and its industrial relations head Looi Heong Meng - this morning at the Penang Magistrates Court.

“(Abdul) Wahid as CEO of a government-linked bank should know that sacking a trade union official for carrying out his duties is clearly in violation of Section 59 and 39 of the Trade Unions and the Industrial Relations Act 1967,” said Nube vice-president Abdul Jamil Jalaludeen.

NONE “The act clearly prohibits any attempt by employers to intimidate unionists from performing their tasks.”

Nube general-secretary J Solomon ( right ) also laid his doubts on Abdul Wahid being appointed a minister.

“How can he be appointed as a minister, when he has blatantly violated basic human rights and when there are cases against him pending in the courts?.

“In view of the blatant violations of human rights by Abdul Wahid, Nube urges the PM to review his appointment as a Minister in the Prime Minister's Department for the Economic Planning Unit portfolio, in the best interest of the 29 million Malaysians,” he added.