The National Union of Flight Attendants Malaysia (Nufam) has expressed surprise over Human Resources Minister Richard Riot Jaem’s apparent decision to not refer the cases of 3,600 retrenched Malaysian Airlines (MAS) workers to the Industrial Court.

Nufam president Ismail Nasaruddin said he only learned about Riot’s decision from a Malaysiakini article last week.

“I was caught off-guard by the article...because no official letters (about this decision) were sent to any of the 3,600 affected.

“We have confirmed with the workers that no information has been given to them since,” he stated at a press conference at the Nufam secretariat in Subang Jaya this morning.

Nufam previously highlighted how the Human Resources Ministry had yet to commence proceedings for the former MAS workers, including cabin crew, despite filing their cases shortly after being retrenched in 2015.

In response, Riot had told Malaysiakini that after discussions with the Department of Industrial Relations and his ministry’s legal counsel, he decided cases involving the former MAS workers would not be referred to the Industrial Court.

He added that a full reply would be ready by this week. Malaysiakini has enquired for the full reply. 

Nufam said today that it wants justifications for Riot's remark.

“Why did it take the ministry two years to decide that cases won’t be referred? Please justify why they were not referred.

“And how can a decision like this be made by one man? We should let the court decide (if the cases have any basis), the workers want their day in court,” said Ismail.

He also appealed to Riot and the Human Resources Ministry to reconsider their decision, as official correspondence on the decision had yet to be made.

“No official letters have been issued about this yet so there is still an opportunity to review it,” he said.

Patience is wearing thin

Also at the press conference was former MAS cabin crew S Shashi Kumar, who first joined the airline in 1997.

“Almost 20 years I was with MAS, and then all of a sudden, I was retrenched (in 2015). Until today I have not gotten a permanent job.

“When I heard that my case won’t be referred to the Industrial Court, I was so disappointed. Are the ministry and minister sweeping our cases under the carpet?

“Patience is running thin among all the workers,” said the 43-year-old.

He has not received any letters or phone calls from the ministry since being called in for a June 2016 meeting.