VIDEO | 2.11 min

A group of former employees of Perbadanan Usahawan National Berhad (PUNB)-owned Qarira Packaging Sdn Bhd, a tin can manufacturing joint venture in Johor which went belly-up in 2010, are appealing to the government-linked company (GLC) to allow proceeds from liquidated assets to be used to pay them compensation first, before taking its share.

“PUNB has seniority (to the funds amongst the creditors).

“We are appealing to them on humanitarian grounds,” said DAP's Serdang MP Ong Kian Ming at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today.

“I understand that under the law, PUNB has a legitimate claim on the sale of Qarira’s assets in its role as main creditor. However, the welfare of the former employees is no less important, especially as this involves the livelihood of low-income workers.”

One of them, P Savithri, related Ong, had already passed away from cancer two months back, still waiting for money owed to her.

Ong said that the workers were awarded compensation for their termination by the Johor Baru High Court, the payments to be administered by the local Insolvency Department branch.

However as of now only RM81,693.82 or 44 percent of the total RM182,489.70 had been paid, leaving RM100,795.88 still outstanding.

Recently the former employees found out that the firm had sold off assets amounting to over RM640,000 and deposited the money with the Insolvency Department.

The funds is being claimed by PUNB as debenture owners to whom the assets were pledged to.

It is this money that the former employees hope that PUNB can release to cover their remaining compensation first.

“We should be paid, as it is our right as awarded by the courts. We really need it for our livelihood. I am now a lorry driver and I don’t make much money,” lamented Md Azlan Sith, one of the former employees who joined Ong at the press conference.

Previously, Ong related, Zamri Suliman, another former worker, had written to PUNB chairperson Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar for assistance, but had received no reply.

Ong said that he will forward all the details to Khairy, hoping for some action.