By Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary- General and MP for Kota Melaka, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Sunday, 24.7.1983
DAP Motion in Parliament tomorrow on Selancar Empat ‘ hell estate’ exploitation
I will move a motion of definite, urgent, public importance on the first day of Parliament tomorrow (July 25) to discuss the Selancar Empat ‘hell estate’ exploitation of contract labour.
I will ask Parliament to adjourn the normal business to discuss the Selancar Empat ‘hell estate’ exploitation of red identity contract labourers, because Parliament as the conscience of the nation must take the lead in efforts to condemn and eliminate such exploitation of workers which involved wrongful confinement, illegal dentention, forced labour, criminal assault and deprivation of rightful wages of workers.
The motion that I intend to move reads:
“That this House
Condemns the exploitation of contract workers and red identity card holders at Selancar Empat Felda Estate where workers are subject to wrongful confinement, illegal detention, forced labour, criminal assault and denial of their wages for four years;
EXPRESSES grave concdrn that despite the existence of a whole battery of laws, regulations and government departments like the Labour Department, the Police and Felda authorities designed to protect the interests of the workers, such exploitation reminiscent of the era of slavery where human beings are treated worse than animals, could still occur in Malaysia in so rampant a form;
Directs all relevant Ministries and Government Departments to conduct a nation- wide check of all Felda and other estates and to take all immediate and necessary action to stamp out such gross abuses of contract labour as in Selancar Empat; and
Further Directs the Minister of Labour to table a Report in this House in the next Parliamentary meeting on the result of implementation of this Motion”
I hope that the Barisan Nasional Ministers and MPs, and in particular the MIC President Datuk Samy Vellu would support a Parliamentary debate on the Selancar Empat scandal and would not seek to sabotage a Parliamentary debate on this matter from behind- the – scenes.