By Ketua Pembangkang and dap secretary-general, Lim Kit Siang, on 24 August 1977.
DAP seriously concerned by the victimisation of CUEPACS Vice President
The DAP is seriously concerned by the victimisation of CUEPACS Vice President, Mr. S.Santhanasamy, for organising and taking part in the picketing at the Public Services Department about two weeks ago.
Mr. Santhanasamy, who is also general secretary of the National Union of PWD Employees, had been transferred from the JKR HD library to the workshop at Jalan Cheras, to restrict hid capacity to discharge his duties as a union leader.
This has become the traditional management tactic to harass and victimise active unionists, and it is most regrettable that the Government, which should set a good example as a model employer, should resort ro such anti-union tactics, lending such practices respectability.
I call on the PRIME Minister, Dato Hussein Onn, and the Deputy Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamed, to respect trade union activities, however much they may disagree with the actions the unions have decided on. In these circumstances, the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister should go out of their way to ensure, not avoid all possible inference that such harassment or victimisation had taken place. In this context, Mr. Santhanasamy should be immediately re- transferred back to his post at JKR HQ library.
Why has it taken the Labour Minister nearly three weeks to stop into the Klang Port container-congestion scandal?
It was reported yesterday that the Communications Minister, Tan Sri C. Manickavasagam, has given the Port Klang Authority two weeks to clear the congestion caused by about 4,180 container there..
It is a reflection of the indifference of those who are responsible at the top of the Ministry that it has been taken the Minister nearly three weeks before reacting to the scandalous container-congestion in Port Klang, which has given Port Klang such a bad International reputation.
The Minister of Communication, Tan Sri V. Manickavasagam, as the Minister responsible for this port service, should give a satisfactory explanation how such a scandalous pile- up could have taken place in the first place, as such congestion could not have developed over-night- but is symptomatic of a history of port maladministration and inefficiency.
The public would also want to know whether since the pile-up at the Klang Port was made public, whether all users of the port had kept clear of it as that there was no new container consignment for these some three weeks?
A thorough shake-up of the Port Authority is long overdue, but this can only be achieved if the Ministry of Communications leadership and administration is first shaken up- for if it takes three weeks for the Ministry to react to the Port Klang congestion, then the Ministry of Communication is probably as inefficient as the Port Klang Authority.