Mustapha (centre) mingling during an iftar event in Manggatal on April 16.
KOTA KINABALU: Some 600 construction workers at the Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park (KKIP) who are owed about RM3.8mil in wages will finally receive their overdue salaries, says Deputy Human Resources Minister Mustapha Sakmud.
He said the contractor involved had agreed to settle the salaries by Monday and Tuesday (April 17 and 18) following a discussion with the Sabah Labour Department.
The order to settle the payments was issued following a workers' protest at KKIP on Saturday (April 15) where three South Koreans were hurt, he added.
According to information he received, Mustapha said the issue behind the incident was the late payment of March wages.
He added that the Sabah Labour director had personally mediated discussions between the construction company and workers.
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"The salaries, according to the agreement, were supposed to be settled on the first week of every month so that means there was a delay in the March salaries.
"As a result, an altercation occurred as the workers were upset about the overdue wages.
"The employer agreed to settle the payments on April 17 and 18 following the discussion headed by the director, together with the Manggatal police chief as well as the company and workers' representatives," Mustapha told reporters after an an iftar event with Kampung Darau residents in Manggatal near here on Sunday (April 16).
The incident, believed to have occurred at around 1.15pm on Saturday was caught on camera and video footage widely circulated on social media.
The clips show several men shouting, slapping, punching and kicking the victims, one of whom is heard saying "please" repeatedly.
Following that, police arrested two workers believed to be involved in the assault of a South Korean man during the incident.
Kota Kinabalu OCPD Asst Comm Zaidi Abdullah said the two were nabbed not long after the 53-year-old victim lodged a report on the incident on Saturday.
He said police have opened investigations under rioting and are looking for two more suspects.
Mustapha said the Sabah Labour Department will ensure all salaries due are paid on time by the construction company and is willing to listen to workers' reports on the incident.
"To ensure this process (salary payment) really does take place, Labour officers will be at the construction site (on Monday and Tuesday) to monitor the situation and possibly hear complaints from other workers," said the Sepanggar MP.
Mustapha also warned that the government would take firm action against companies, local or foreign, that fail to meet salary payment terms in line with the Sabah Labour Ordinance.
"I issue this warning to all employers in Sabah: read and understand the Sabah Labour Ordinance.
"At the same time, I also wish to remind workers to act according to the rule of law," Mustapha said.
