Union slams Minister for alleged betrayal of trust

SHAH ALAM - The National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE) today claimed that Human Resources Minister Steven Sim has allegedly failed to uphold his responsibilities as a Minister and undermined the trust and confidence placed in him by NUBE and its members.

In a statement, NUBE claimed that Sim had also misled the public by issuing false statements about a police report lodged by NUBE on April 18.

"He had refused to comment claiming that the issue of festival allowances for bank employees had already been referred to the industrial court.

"NUBE asserts that Sim’s inappropriate handling of the festival aid dispute and his disregard for legal norms not only constitute an abuse of power but also a failure to uphold his responsibilities as Minister, undermining the trust and confidence placed in him by NUBE and its members," read the statement.

On April 18, the bank employee's union lodged five police reports on behalf of the union members across Peninsular Malaysia yesterday claiming an alleged abuse of power by Sim.

The union claimed that the minister had allegedly made an agreement with the Malayan Commercial Banks Association (MCBA) over a “Festival Aid” allowance that members of the union were entitled to under a memorandum of agreement (MoA) without consulting the union and excluding them from the discussion.

“Although the reconciliation was still ongoing, the minister without the knowledge and consent of Nube had interfered and worked with MCBA and got the banks to pay the clerical and special grade clerical members of Nube, only a half-month salary, contrary to the said MoA.

“Further, it is regretted that contrary to the said MoA, the Minister had agreed with MCBA that this payment shall be a one-off payment for all categories of Nube members,” the union said.

When asked to comment, Sim refused to speak on the matter claiming that it was now a court case.

"This issue has been extended for hearing so I do not want to comment on it because it is a court case," Sim had reportedly said.

To this, NUBE claimed that it was only informed by the industrial court that the festival aid matter had been referred to them on April 18 after they had lodged reports nationwide.