INTERVIEW | Veteran trade unionist Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud is well aware that the workers' movement in Malaysia has changed in the half-century since he began his involvement.

Nonetheless, he still feels that there is a place for labour organisations and that the core battles are still the same.

“First of all, you have the issue of survival and quality of life. You can't expect workers to be productive if they're hungry. And you cannot leave it up to the employers’ good grace to improve the workers’ salary, because most of the time they are thinking about themselves and their profits, not the workers.

“At the same time, the unions must...