Meanwhile, he[Human Resources minister Steven Sim
Chee Keong] announced the appointment of treasurer general of the National Union of Bank Employees (Nube) and Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) executive council member, Chee Yeeh Ceeu, as his special duties officer.
Oops, a similar strategy was earlier employed when they 'WEAKENED" BERSIH(The Movement for Free and Fair Elections) that had the capacity to attract over hundreds of thousands of Malaysians out to peaceful assemblies fighting for FREE and FAIR elections...
'The Chair Maria Chin Abdullah was given a seat to contest now a PH Member of Parliament, Zoe Randawa appointed as EC Commissioner, Shahrul Aman quit as Bersih’s acting chairman to a job – as Education Minister Maszlee Malik’s press secretary. Mandeep of BERSIH was appointed as a special functions officer for Multimedia and Communications Minister Gobind Singh...'
What happened to BERSIH after that ---- it became rather 'quiet' - and it still is struggling to regain the peoples' support.
Was there any REFORMS to bring about FREE and FAIR elections?
When the BERSIH 'leaders' was co-opted by the government - it affected the PUBLIC PERCEPTION of BERSIH. Was it not INDEPENDENT committed to the struggle for a FREE and FAIR Elections....or was it really a Pakatan Harapan 'agent' - there for a more selfish objective to oust BN and help Pakatan Harapan become the government?
Will BERSIH still be able to get hundreds of thousands or even tens of thousands to the street for a peaceful assembly fighting for a FREE and FAIR elections...Question Mark? But the remaining 'good people' in BERSIH has been struggling ... WHY should BERSIH suffer because some leaders joined Pakatan Harapan government?
It was shocking the Anwar's PKR did not even give BERSIH's once prominent leader Maria Chin Abdullah a 2nd term - She was not offered a seat during GE-14. Anyway, PKR-PH did not any more need BERSIH's supporters ...
Hence, when we hear that the NEW Human Resource Minister has now appointed a Unionist as his special duties officer -A Trade Unionist has become a mere EMPLOYEE of the Minister/Ministry >> It certainly is not something for the labour movement to be PROUD of - for it has lost a Unionist - and independent activist for worker/trade union rights.
If the Minister wanted the assistance of unionist or other Human Rights Defenders, he should just brought them in as members of a Task Force or Special Committee, where their independence is maintained. Now, the National Union of Bank Employees (Nube) and
Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) has lost a worker/trade union rights advocate - who now will be nothing more that an employee of the Minister/Ministry, and for how long??? Now, Chee
Yeeh Ceeu will be to the Minister/Ministry - he will have to obey his new 'BOSS" - so workers/trade unions/labour movement has lost an activist...
Maybe, Chee
Yeeh Ceeu should decline - and remain a unionist fighting for worker rights and trade union rights..
An employee of the Minister/Ministry should rightfully RESIGN from the Union - odd if a government employee or agent of the Minister remains in the unions...what will he be then? A 'spy' for the Minister????
The strategy of weakening the Human Rights and Labour Rights movement by the offering/appointment of prominent and key persons/HRDs as government/Minister employees, or absorption into political parties allowing them to contest for MP/ADUN positions.
ABIM (Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia, or Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement), which was formed in 1971 became a significant movement that was committed to human rights and its growing support amongst primarily the Muslim grassroots
and tertiary education institutions. Both the United
Malays National Organization(UMNO) and PAS were concerned, and they hoped that they will manage to woo ABIM's support. Mahathir of UMNO succeeded in getting the then ABIM President Anwar Ibrahim to join UMNO, and ABIM's leadership was shocked to hear this as apparently Anwar's joining UMNO was kept secret even from the then leadership of ABIM. ABIM as a movement suffered as a result of this 'betrayal' by their then President. In the 80s, ABIM's membership had grown to about 35,000.
However, as we know many of Anwar's critics in ABIM later also did join UMNO - and ABIM's national and international significance suffered.
YES - the same strategy was employed then with ABIM by the BN, as it was done with BERSIH and many Human Rights Defenders/Groups by Pakatan/Harapan. As we can observe, even now many alleged human rights groups in Malaysia is still less critical of Pakatan Harapan and this government - That is why it is IMPORTANT for HR Defenders and even Labour Activist(including Unionist) to stay strong and independent in their commitment of upholding the cause of justice and human rights...
ABIM survived and in the mid-1990s, its Annuar Tahir, the late Fan Yew Teng and Charles Hector(me) were the Coordinators of MAF who took some significant stands on human rights issues in Malaysia and the world, but still generally ABIM suffered and today in 2023 is less significant as a Human Rights Group - that also serves as a 'check and balance' to the government of the day...
The Malaysian Action Front (MAF), a politically broad-based grouping
of 50 nongovernmental organizations comprising some two
million members, has called for a boycott of U.S. goods
and products to protest against "American domination of
the world, " according to Bernama, Malaysia's national
news agency. MAF official Anuar Tahir said the boycott
targets fast food chains, oil companies, soft drink
producers, cigarette manufacturers and others, and argued
that Malaysian government broadcasters should stop importing violent
American films and cartoons. "These products symbolize
American culture and U.S. political imperialism," Tahir
said, adding that posters and pamphlets announcing the
boycott were being distributed throughout the country.
On 18 May, the Malaysian Action Front representing fifty-one Malaysian trade unions, political parties and human rights organizations, urged ASEAN to cancel its invitation to SLORC. The ASEAN Ministerial meeting will be held in Bangkok in July. The MAF said that ASEAN should not lend any respectability or legitimacy to the military junta suppressing democracy and human rights in Burma.
The Malaysian Action Front, a social activist umbrella group, has protested to the French government over its ban on Muslim schoolgirls wearing their traditional headscarves in class....
Remembering MAF - that multiracial multireligious human rights group that stood for justice and human rights..(1993 - ...)
Beware State's agenda to weaken or compromise Human Rights Defenders, including Worker Rights Defenders...
HR Ministry to expedite implementation of Progressive Wage Policy pilot project, says minister
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 20 — The Human Resources Ministry will take immediate steps to implement the Progressive Wage Policy pilot project to enable workers to earn more dignified and fairer salaries, minister Steven Sim Chee Keong said.
Sim said for this purpose, the ministry will closely collaborate with the Economy Ministry to ensure the success of the project and other efforts to bring labour market reforms.
He said the matter is among several new decisions he has made based on the three main thrusts he wants to emphasise in the ministry, which are strengthening welfare, improving skills and increasing worker productivity.
“The ministry will also formulate the inaugural Human Resources Policy (KSM) as a primary guide to reinforce welfare, improve skills, and enhance worker productivity while preparing the labour market.
“This is to enable the workforce to face future challenges such as digital technology advancements, the ageing population agenda, green economy, job mismatch, and the need for decent work in line with the Madani Economy’s framework,” he said in a statement today.
In addition, he directed HRD Corp to discontinue the “Skills Passport” initiative as it was found to be no longer suitable and has been delayed for over a year.
Meanwhile, he announced the appointment of treasurer general of the National Union of Bank Employees (Nube) and Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) executive council member, Chee Yeeh Ceeu, as his .
He
said Chee is a labour movement activist with 15 years’ experience in
union activities, and the move is to allow participation of workers in
the policy making processes within the ministry. — Bernama, Malay Mail, 20/12/2023
Anwar masuk UMNO
Pada 30 Mac 1982, akhbar Utusan Malaysia melaporkan bekas Presiden Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM), Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim mengumumkan keputusannya untuk bergerak cergas dalam politik UMNO “kerana kagum dan yakin dengan pentadbiran dan corak perjuangan Dr. Mahathir Mohamad”.
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