The contract workers of Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) subsidiary PKNS Holdings Sdn Bhd (PHSB), whose contracts were suddenly terminated last week, have denied that they have any link with PKR deputy president Azmin Ali.

A former PHSB staff member, who had also once served the parent body, questioned how Azmin could be accused of having links with the 19 contract workers whose services were terminated last Tuesday.

“What is Azmin's link with them that their contracts had to be terminated? I don't think that they are 'Azmin's people'. They are professionals hired to work for PKNS,” the former employee, who spoke on condition he is not named, said.

This followed a news report citing sources close to Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim that the termination of the contracts was to stop PKNS from being used as a “political tool”.

This raised speculation that the terminations were part of a political purge in the long-standing rivalry between those aligned to Khalid and those with Azmin, who is also Selangor PKR chief.

However, in explaining the terminations last Thursday, Khalid said the move followed complaints from internal “whistleblowers” who claimed the contract staff were hired on plump packages.

Khalid said the PKNS whistleblowers complained that some of these contract staff did not go through interviews and received remuneration as high as RM30,000 a month.

Khalid as menteri besar is chairperson of the PKNS board,  while Azmin was a former board member.

'Some were interviewed thrice'

However, the former PHSB staff member told Malaysiakini that all the contract workers went through the interview process, with some even interviewed thrice before they were hired.

The staff member, who resigned from his position last year, said the contract staff were not recommended or supported by Azmin while he was on the board of directors.

Azmin was dropped from the board last month, further widening fissures between his and Khalid's factions.

According to the former PHSB worker, the 19 who had their contracts terminated had no links to any party in Pakatan Rakyat and were hired for their professional skills.

“PKNS needs to compete with other property developers, such as Dijaya, SP Setia and so on. That's why PKNS needs outside talent with wide experience.

“PKNS hired these experienced talents, who were previously attached to SP Setia, CIMB Investment Bank and so on, on a different pay scale than the permanent staff,” he explained.

Khalid had also said that he would “assume (Azmin's) innocence” over the hiring of the contract staff, pending an investigation to find out the person responsible for hiring some 30-odd contract workers at a cost of RM7 million a year.

'Why only give 24-hour notice?'

Khalid also said the decision to let the group go was part of the corporate restructuring of PKNS, which cost PKNS a total of RM800,000 for research. He said that the contract workers would have been aware of this exercise.

However, the former PHSB employee said the way in which the contract workers were let go was suspicious.

“Corporate restructuring requires time, and termination is not done on a 24-hour notice. Why couldn't the contract workers be informed two or three months earlier that their contracts would be terminated?” he asked.

After Khalid's press conference, Azmin issued a press statement to remind the menteri besar that he cannot abuse state powers to punish political rivals.

The Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyperson also said the termination of the PHSB contract staff was irresponsible and called for the dismissals to be revoked.

Meanwhile, PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim said he has met with Khalid and the terminated workers and concluded that the termination was not political.

Anwar also said he would discuss the matter further with all parties, including Khalid and Azmin, to find a suitable solution.

 

Yesterday: What lies behind the PKNS sackings?