KUALA LUMPUR – Former human resources minister M. Kula Segaran has taken Putrajaya to task over the alleged abandonment of plans to build houses in Sg Siput for workers in the plantation sector.
In a statement today, the opposition lawmaker questioned whether the government had forsaken workers in the sector who he claimed face a lack of proper housing – an issue which he had attempted to address during his tenure at the ministry.
“During my visit to various estates, I realised that it is imperative to build houses for workers to significantly integrate them with the sector, as many estate owners are not keen on doing so.
“After many meetings with Sime Darby, we announced in February 2020 that the company had allocated 4.04 hectares of land to construct about 100 units of medium cost houses for estate workers to purchase and own property in Sg Siput.
“I want to ask the present ‘backdoor’ government, two years on, if they have completely turned their backs on these workers?” the Ipoh Barat MP questioned, noting how oil palm, natural rubber and cocoa are the main plantation crops grown for export.
He added that the land was supposed to be given to the ministry for free, with Bank Simpanan Nasional providing a 35-year loan term with only a 2% interest on monthly instalments while the then-government worked on obtaining a discount.
“It is the government’s responsibility to provide housing for the poor. These workers have every right to equity and social justice since they are part and parcel of a major economic activity.
“If the Pakatan Harapan government was still in power, we would have completed the construction and handed over the houses to the estate workers by now.”
Besides challenging authorities on the progress of obtaining from Sime Darby another 16.2-ha of land area in Banting, he said that the availability of houses at an affordable price for plantation workers will attract more locals to the vicinity, especially if the location is in a town area.
He observed that currently there is a severe shortage of workers in the sector as the locals have not only shown disinterest in the industry but also because the socioeconomic ecosystem does not address basic needs such as housing.
He claimed that among the 45,000 local workers spread across around 1,000 estates in the country, the majority do not have a roof over their head and will have to rent a house once they reach old age.
“The delay in providing houses to plantation workers is unjustifiable, unacceptable and unjust to workers.” – The Vibes, May 15, 2022
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