Heeding rising calls for transparency, the Malaysian Trades Union Congress today said that its controversial decision to buy a piece of land will be put on hold until more feedback is received from members.

The union umbrella body was recently quizzed by its affiliates over the purchase of an eight-hectare plot of land in Negeri Sembilan for the construction of its Labour Studies Institute, which was decided during its Oct 7 general council meeting.

"I admit that we should have informed our affiliates first. We have sent out circulars to all of them and will await the response from each and every one of them. We have not made the payment yet," said MTUC secretary-general G Rajasekaran.

Several union leaders disapproved of the deal, saying that the purchase would be an economic setback and that the land was governed by the Malay Reserve Land Act.

They added that members had also not been properly consulted and that the deal was not feasible.

'Need to give answers'

"These are points well taken and we admit that we should have presented these plans at the general council. They are right. We need to give answers," Rajasekaran said.

He added that if a majority of the responses was against the purchase, MTUC would work on it.

"The circulars were sent out on Oct 23 and the deadline is Nov 13. So far we have received responses from 30 unions," Rajasekaran said.

Rajasekaran also said that MTUC had intended to build the institute as far back as 1999, and the plot of land was applied for in January this year.