IPOH: The Perak government has set up a special committee to resolve the issues faced by 34 former workers of Ladang Kamiri and Changkat Salak in Sungai Siput over their compensation for losing their jobs 12 years ago.
State human resources, health, Indian community affairs and national integration committee chairman A. Sivanesan said the committee was set up after a discussion in the state executive council meeting on Wednesday.
“This committee will review all the documents.
“The state government will also call all the government departments involved when the agreement was made, to get feedback,” he was quoted by Bernama as telling reporters at the 2023 Perak State Industrial Harmony Symposium which was launched by Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar here yesterday.
The state government, Siva-nesan said, was very concerned about the welfare of the workers, adding that Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad had also agreed to help them.
“So, I hope these workers will come forward and help the investigation, which may be completed within a month and be brought to the state executive council for a decision,” said Sivanesan.
Most of the former workers are reportedly third-generation rubber tappers who were laid off after Guthrie, now known as Sime Darby, decided to open an oil palm plantation.
On Monday, 34 former plantation workers staged a sit-in protest in front of the State Secretary’s office at the Perak Darul Ridzuan Building here, claiming that the land approved for them as compensation had been confiscated.