KUALA LUMPUR – After being accused of failing to address forced labour issues in Penang, Deputy Chief Minister II P. Ramasamy has hit back at Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan for his “ignorance” of the constitutional separation of powers.
In an email to The Vibes, the DAP leader said while states might have an interest in labour matters, they do not have enforcement powers to end such abuses, which he pointed out is exclusive to the federal government.
“Unfortunately, as the minister of human resources, he lacks the elementary knowledge about the constitutional separation of powers.
“I hope Saravanan can take a look at the federal constitution to see the separation of powers between the federal and state governments. I also hope he doesn’t repeat his naivety on the matter.”
In a recent interview with The Vibes, Saravanan had said that he no longer sees the need to debate with Ramasamy, whom he described as someone with no success stories to be shared on the issue of forced labour.
He had said that whatever arguments made by the Penang lawmaker would be academic, while pointing to the supposed increase in forced labour cases in the state over the years.
“Why should I waste my time talking about the unrelated broader spectrum, unless he has examples of success stories in Penang? It’s not like he has written a book recognised by the whole world.”
Ramasamy said Saravanan’s claim that forced labour is on the rise in Penang directly contradicts his own statement that he has succeeded in bringing down such cases in the country.
This is in reference to the minister’s remark that he has addressed multiple issues involving migrant labour, and claimed to have a superior track record compared to his predecessor M. Kulasegaran.
“Since I am in charge of human resources in Penang, it was an attempt to discredit me,” said Ramasamy.
He also took issue with Saravanan’s statement that he has no locus standi on the issue of forced labour, having not written a globally recognised book concerning the matter.
“I don’t claim to be an expert on labour general or forced labour in particular, and I might not have written a world-famous book on the discipline of labour.
“But my book published by the Oxford University Press in the early 1990s was considered as one of the informative books on plantation labour in the country.” – The Vibes, April 28, 2022
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