Kenyataan Hari Peringatan Pekerja Maut Antarabangsa - Berkabung untuk yang mati, Berjuang untuk yang hidup (Berhiba yang mati, Berjuang untuk yang hidup)

Kenyataan Media(Penterjemahan Kenyataan Asal Dalam Bahasa Inggeris) – 28/4/2020

International Workers’ Memorial Day Statement

Kenyataan Hari Peringatan Pekerja Maut Antarabangsa

Mourn for dead, Fight for the living

Berkabung untuk yang mati, Berjuang untuk yang hidup

(Berhiba yang mati, Berjuang untuk yang hidup)

Hanya Memperingati Pekerja yang Maut Tanpa Menggubal Undang-Undang Baru untuk memastikan keselamatan Hidup Pekerja di masa depan tidak bermakna

Pada Hari Peringatan Pekerja Antarabangsa atau Hari Berkabung Pekerja, yang disambut setiap tahun pada 28 April, kami, 40 kumpulan dan kesatuan sekerja yang disenaraikan di bawah ini  sedih bahawa hakikat kematian pekerja di tempat kerja, masih belum mengerakkan kerajaan Malaysia untuk mengubal undang-undang, peraturan dan piawaian baru yang akan semestinya mencegah kematian atau kecederaan di kalangan pekerja pada masa depan dalam situasi serupa.

Hari Peringatan Pekerja Antarabangsa atau Hari Berkabung Pekerja adalah hari antarabangsa memperingati dan tindakan demi mengingati pekerja yang terbunuh, cacat, cedera atau menjadi sakit akibat  pekerjaan mereka. Slogan hari ini adalah ‘Berkabung untuk yang mati, Berjuang untuk yang hidup’.

Sedang kita berkabung kehilangan nyawa dan kecederaan pekerja, kita juga berjuang untuk pekerja lain dengan tujuan mengurangkan risiko kehilangan nyawa dan kecederaan di tempat kerja.

Di Malaysia, pada tahun 2018, terdapat 611 kes kemalangan maut. Pada tahun 2017, terdapat 711 kes kemalangan maut. (Bernama, 11/07/2018; Star, 7/1/2020). Malangnya, rekod Jabatan Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan (JKKP) mendedahkan kes kemalangan maut yang  telah siap disiasat pada tahun 2017 dan 2018, masing-masing hanya 206 dan 260, yang bermaksud bahawa siasatan masih belum selesai untuk begitu banyak kes yang mengakibatkan kematian pun.

Sektor pembinaan mencatatkan jumlah kematian yang tertinggi. Statistik Jabatan Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan (DOSH) mencatatkan 169 kematian dan 3,911 kemalangan di sektor pembinaan untuk tahun 2018. (NST, 15/2/2020) Kadar kematian setiap 100,000 pekerja di sektor pembinaan adalah 13.44 pada tahun 2018, berbanding kepada 14.57 pada tahun 2017.

Kadar Kemalangan Maut Malaysia (FAR) bukan hanya 10 kali lebih teruk daripada di Britain tetapi sebenarnya merosot sebanyak 20 peratus sejak permulaan abad ini, menurut laporan Lembaga Pembangunan Industri Pembinaan.

Kematian akibat parit runtuh - kematian akibat dikebumikan hidup-hidup

Jalmi, seorang pekerja Indonesia berusia 20-an, mati setelah dia ditimbus tanah di longkang kedalaman  tiga meter semasa kerja-kerja penggalian di Shah Alam, Selangor pada Oktober 2015. (NST, 5/10/2015).

Pada bulan Mac 2015, dilaporkan bahawa 2 pekerja binaan di Machang, Kelantan, seorang lelaki tempatan dan seorang warga Myanmar terbunuh ketika tanah runtuh dan menguburkan mereka di lubang ketika mereka sedang mengerjakan projek paip bekalan air. (NST, 30 / 3/2015).

Pada bulan September 2015, seorang pekerja binaan Bangladesh terbunuh di Kuala Lumpur setelah dia dikebumikan di timbunan tanah, setelah mangsa dan rakannya sebelum itu menggali lubang sedalam tiga meter untuk memasang paip bawah tanah. (NST, 30/9 / 2015)

Nicholas anak Jawan, seorang pekerja berusia 33 tahun, terbunuh di Sarawak setelah dia dikebumikan hidup-hidup ketika membina longkang monsun dalam (Malay Mail, 3/12/2019)

Md Shoriful, 43, dan Julhas Rahman, 27, terbunuh ketika mereka dikebumikan oleh gundukan tanah di tapak pembinaan projek perumahan di Mentakab, Temerloh di mana mereka menjalankan kerja pemasangan paip kumbahan. (BERNAMA / New Straits Times, 6/3/2020

Akan ada banyak kes yang serupa, yang malangnya tidak semua akan dilaporkan oleh media. Malangnya, laporan media juga gagal menyebut nama pekerja yang meninggal, dan juga tidak menyebut nama syarikat dan/atau majikan yang kemungkinan bertanggungjawab untuk kemalangan maut ini.

Sedang kita merayakan IWMD tahun ini, kami menyeru kerajaan Malaysia untuk:

1. Menggubal dan menguatkuasakan undang-undang dan peraturan yang menetapkan kewajiban wajib untuk mencegah kematian lagi di masa depan

Kematian akibat parit tanah runtuh seperti ini di Malaysia, dan juga di seluruh dunia, kerap berlaku,  dan persoalannya adalah mengapa masih belum ada undang-undang dan peraturan khusus yang akan mencegah kematian tersebut dalam situasi serupa di masa depan.

Apa yang seharusnya terkandung dalam undang-undang tersebut adalah persyaratan untuk dukungan dan / atau penghadangan yang diperlukan untuk mencegah tanah runtuh mengebumikan  pekerja yang bekerja di dalam lubang atau parit tersebut. Keperluan untuk keperluan pemeriksaan keselamatan di tapak oleh orang yang kompeten, sebelum pekerja diminta memasuki lubang atau parit dengan kedalaman lebih dari 1 meter, dengan mengambilkira bahawa keselamatan juga akan dipengaruhi oleh jenis tanah, cuaca pada hari itu , getaran disebabkan oleh mesin yang beroperasi berdekatan atau sebab lain.

Diperlukan peraturan dan piawaian khusus, dan bukannya undang-undang umum yang kabur yang hanya membicarakan tanggungjawab keselamatan dan kesihatan umum 'sejauh mana yang dapat dilaksanakan'. Di beberapa negara lain, sudah ada undang-undang yang secara khusus menangani hal ini seperti Peraturan Pembinaan (Reka Bentuk dan Pengurusan) 2015 di United Kingdom.

Terdapat begitu banyak majikan dan syarikat yang terlibat dalam kerja-kerja pembinaan di Malaysia, dan adalah tidak masuk akal untuk mengharapkan mereka mengetahui semua bahaya dan risiko yang terlibat dalam pelbagai aspek pekerjaan mereka. Majikan dan syarikat, mungkin tidak menyedari risiko yang ditemui di tempat kerja lain berikutan beberapa kemalangan, dan oleh itu mungkin masih menjalankan kerja dengan cara yang sama berisiko tinggi mengancam nyawa melalui kejahilan.

Oleh itu, hanya wajar untuk kerajaan, yang memiliki data dan kepakaran berkenaan keselamatan dan kesihatan kerja, untuk melakukan apa yang diperlukan melalui pengubalan atau pembuatan peraturan dan/atau undang-undang perlu yang menyatakan langkah-langkah khusus yang harus diambil oleh majikan untuk memastikan keselamatan pekerja.

Setiap kejadian di tempat kerja iaitu kemalangan, kecederaan dan/atau kematian pekerja, akan memberikan kita pengajaran mengenai apa yang perlu dilakukan sekarang untuk mengelakkan kecelakaan sama di masa hadapann yang boleh kemungkinan mengakibatkan kematian pekerja. Kerajaan berkewajiban untuk mengambil langkah-langkah untuk memastikan kemalangan serupa tidak berulang di mana saja, dan jalan penyelesaian terbaik adalah perundangan undang-undang, peraturan dan undang-undang yang jelas yang tidak hanya akan menonjolkan bahaya, tetapi juga akan memastikan bahawa majikan dan syarikat melakukan apa yang diperlukan untuk mengurangkan risiko kematian dan kecederaan. Garis panduan atau nasihat sahaja tidak mencukupi.

2.    Hebohkan kepada khalayak ramai dan janakan kesedaran mengenai Undang-Undang, Peraturan dan Prosedur Operasi Standard (SOP)

Seringkali kerajaan menyebut mengenai SOP dan keperluan undang-undang lain, tetapi malangnya, ramai yang tidak tahudengan jelas isi kandungan sebenarnya perundangan ini, di mana ini menjejaskan kemungkinan pekerja dan orang ramai menghebohkan atau melapurkan ketidakpatuhan undang-undang oleh majikan dan syarikat.

Semua undang-undang, peraturan dan SOP terpakai mesti disenang diperolehi orang ramai, termasuk dengan memuatkannya dalam semua laman web agensi, jabatan dan Kementerian yang mempunyai tanggungjawab untuk memastikan keselamatan dan kesihatan pekerjaan.

3. Pastikan hukuman yang tegas/deterent untuk mengurangkan ketidakpatuhan, justeru mengurangkan kematian dan kecederaan pekerja

Kehidupan dan kesejahteraan pekerja adalah kepentingan utama, dan dengan itu hukuman bagi majikan dan syarikat yang melanggar undang-undang yang melindungi keselamatan dan kesihatan pekerja mesti menjadi pencegahan/deterrent sekiranya Malaysia benar-benar prihatin kehidupan manusia.

Pada masa ini hukuman untuk pelanggaran undang-undang Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan adalah hanya denda, dan/atau penjara maksima 2 tahun. Namun, nampaknya macam tidak ada majikan atau Pengarah syarikat yang telah dipenjarakan, walaupun kegagalan mereka mengakibatkan kematian dan kecederaan pekerja. Pengarah dan pemilik syarikat, yang kadang-kadang mahu menjimatkan kos, sering memilih mengenepikan tugas dan kewajiban untuk melakukan perkara perlu untuk memastikan keselamatan dan kesihatan pekerja.

Kevin Otto, pemilik Atlantic Drain Services, sebuah syarikat di Amerika Syarikat baru-baru ini dijatuhkan hukuman penjara dua tahun setelah didapati bersalah atas dua tuduhan pembunuhan berkenaan  kematian dua pekerja, Robert Higgins dan Kelvin Mattocks, yang lemas pada Oktober 2018 dalam keadaan tidak dilindungi , iaiitu lemas dalam Parit sedalam 14 kaki berikutan pembocoran satu paip air utama. Kevin seterusnya dihukum dengan 3 tahun tempoh percobaan selama tiga tahun, yang bermula setelah dia keluar penjara, di mana dalam tempoh ini beliau tidak dibenarkan mengaji sesiapa pun untuk   pekerjaan yang melibatkan penggalian. (ISHN, 17/12/2019).

Di bidang kuasa lain, undang-undang yang ketat yang mengenakan hukuman yang lebih tinggi, termasuk kesalahan baru, telah digubal dengan tujuan mengurangkan risiko nyawa dan cedera pada pekerja. Di Australia, undang-undang Pembunuhan Industri (Industrial Manslaughter Laws) telah diperkenalkan.

JANGAN KEMATIAN PEKERJA TIDAK BERMAKNA. CEGAH KEMALANGAN SERUPA DAN KURANGKAN RISIKO KEHILANGAN NYAWA ATAU KECEDERAAN PEKERJA LAIN PADA MASA DEPAN.

Charles Hector

Apolinar Tolentino 

Bagi pihak 40 pertubuhan dan 1 individu yang disenaraikan di bawah

ALIRAN

WH4C(Workers Hub For Change)

Associated Labour Union, Philippines

Association of Human Rights Defenders and Promoters- HRDP in Myanmar

Building and Wood Workers International (BWI) Asia Pacific Region

Building and Wood Workers’ Federation of Myanmar

Center for Orang Asli Concerns(COAC)

Clean Clothes Campaign(CCC) South East Asian Coalition

Confederation of Trade Unions  Myanmar – CTUM

Electrical Trades Union of Australia

IMA Research Foundation, Bangladesh

International Black Women for Wages for Housework

Kesatuan Pekerja Atlas Edible Ice Sdn Bhd

Kesatuan Sekerja Industri Elektronik Wilayah Selatan, Semenanjung Malaysia (KSIEWSSM)/Electronic Industry Employees Union Southern Region Peninsular Malaysia(EIEUSRPM)

Labour Behind the Label

MADPET (Malaysians Against Death Penalty and Torture)

MARUAH, Singapore

Marvi Rural Development Organization (MRDO), Pakistan

Migrant Care, Indonesia

NAMM (Network of Action for Migrants in Malaysia)

National Union of Transport Equipment & Allied Industries Workers (NUTEAIW)

National Union of Flight Attendants Malaysia (NUFAM)

North South Initiative (NSI)

Odhikar, Bangladesh

Persatuan Sahabat Wanita Selangor

Safety and Rights Society (SRS), Bangladesh

Tenaganita, Malaysia

Timber Employees Union of Peninsula Malaysia

Union Network International- Malaysia Labour Centre (UNI-MLC)

Women of Color/Global Women’s Strike, United Kingdom

Bangladesh Group THE Netherlands

Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor (EMPOWER)

Sabah Timber Industry Employees Union (STIEU)

African Resources Watch (Afrewatch)

Association Of Home And Maquila Workers, ATRAHDOM- Guatemala.

Parti Sosialis Malaysia(PSM)

AMMPO-SENTRO - Asosasyon ng mga Makabayang Manggagawang Pilipino Overseas - Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (Association of Nationalist Filipino Workers- Sentro a labor center in the Philippines)

Payday Men’s Network UK

Payday Men’s Network US

Workers Assistance Center, Inc. Philippines

Datuk Dr Ronald McCoy

Bar Resolution on maintaining a just employment relationship, worker and trade union rights in Malaysia(2012)

Resolution on maintaining a just employment relationship, worker and trade union rights in Malaysia

Motion proposed by Charles Hector and seconded by Francis Pereira, dated 1 Mar 2012

(As amended)

Whereas:

(1) There has been a withering away of the rights of workers and/or their unions in Malaysia over the past years, and the most recent of this is the employment relationship, where Malaysia is in the process of amending (or has amended) the Employment Act 1955 vide the Employment (Amendment) Bill 2011, the result of which would be the legalisation of the “contractor for labour”, a third party, in an employment relationship which justly should be a two–party direct relationship between owner/operators of workplaces and their workers, who reasonably must be their direct employees.

(2) What the Malaysian government has done, earlier through policy and practice and now being legalised through the amendment of the Employment Act 1955, which was passed at the Dewan Rakyat on 6/10/2011 and the Senate on 22/12/2011, goes contrary also to international standards and principles concerning Decent Work and worker rights.  Avoiding employment relationship was being done by various means, agreements and contracts, which have been criticised even by the International Labour Organisation (“ILO”). Sadly, Malaysia goes even further by legalising evasion of employment relationships.

(3) Employment relationship in Malaysia, as also evident in our Employment Act, prior to this new amendment, was a two–party relationship between employer and worker (employee) between whom there will be a contract of service, whereby “the person or class of persons employed, engaged or contracted with to carry out the work shall be deemed to be an employee or employees and (a) the principal or owner of the agricultural or industrial undertaking, constructional work, trade, business or place of work; or (b) the statutory body or local government authority, shall be deemed to be the employer”.  Sadly, the Minister had the power to create exceptions to this general principle.

(4) The current amendments to the Employment Act 1955 now statutorily recognises a new third party in the employment relationship, being the “contractor for labour”, who unlike Private Employment Agencies, continue to remain the employer of workers that they supply to the principal or owner of the workplace, and as such the said principal or owner of the workplace effectively can avoid becoming employer of the workers working for them, and hence all employer obligations.

(5) This practice of using workers of third parties, without the entry of an employment relationship and/or contract of service, even though there was no provision in law that specifically allowed this, started on or about 2005 with essentially migrant workers through what was known as “outsourcing agents”, but as of 2010, it was no more just migrant workers but also local workers including those from Sabah and Sarawak.

(6) This new reality causes discrimination amongst workers, with regard to wages and other benefits, including also the right to join existing unions and/or to benefit from Collective Agreements, being agreements between worker–employees and their employers – the principal or owners of the workplace.

(7) In some workplaces, the workers who still are employees of the principal or owners of the workplace is about 50% or less, the rest workers there being  workers supplied to work by third parties, at a workplace. This results in an effective weakening of trade unions and their bargaining powers when it comes to collective agreements, including their struggle for better wages and work conditions.  The law does not provide any restrictions as to the number of non–employees at a workplace, and as such this may lead to a situation where even all workers in workplaces may one day be no more employees of the owner or principal of the workplace.

(8) Given the reality, that the workplace and all workers therein is still under the effective control and supervision of the principal or owners of the workplace, matters related to work and work condition, so many workers at the workplace, now treated as not employees of the principal or owner of the workplace, is deprived the right that any worker must have to be able to fight for better working conditions and work–related rights.  The third party suppliers really have no effective control or ability when it comes to improving working conditions and matters at the workplace.

(9) The reality today is also that these principals or owners of workplaces are getting workers from not one, but many different suppliers of workers (“contractors for labour”), which again would result in further discrimination. 

(10) The reality also is that suppliers of workers (“contractors for labour”) are supplying workers to many different workplaces, in many different sectors, and as such even if the workers (now considered) employees of these suppliers were to try to form a union, it is near impossible given this reality.  They also cannot join existing regional or national trade unions in Malaysia, given the fact that in Malaysia, unions are registered based on sectors, and it will be difficult for these worker/employees of the third party to form or join existing unions, given also that the flexibility of the situation that can result in overnight changing of which sectoral unions that they can join.  Effectively, these workers if they are employees of these suppliers have lost their basic freedom of association and the right to form and/or join trade unions.  Prior to this any new employee of the workplace can easily form/join trade unions, irrespective of whether they are local or migrant workers.

(11) The Private Employment Agency, as provided for in the Private Employment Agencies Act 1971, does the service of finding workers for workplaces, and once the workers are supplied, these workers automatically are employees of the principal or owners of the said workplace, and the private employment agency is paid a statutorily fixed rate for their services. This is certainly a better practice, not detrimental to a just employment relationship and worker rights. All suppliers of workers must be private employment agencies, confined to the providing of service of supplying workers, and not be made into employers themselves of the workers after they have supplied them to the principal or owners of workplaces.

(12) It must be pointed out that the Employment Act 1955 amendments were proceeded with and passed in both houses of Parliament, despite the fact that there was strong opposition and protest from workers, trade unions including the Malaysian Trades Union Congress and the International Trade Union Confederation (“ITUC”), and civil society groups.

We hereby resolve:

(1) That the Malaysian government immediately repeal the amendments to the Employment Act 1955 with regard to the employment relationship and the contractor for labour, introduced vide Employment (Amendment) Bill 2011, and pending repeal not put into effect the said amendments.

(2) That the Malaysian government do the needful to maintain existing 2–party employment relationships between principals or owners of workplaces as employers, and workers that work in the said workplaces as employees of the said principals and owners.

(3) That the Malaysian government promotes and protect worker and trade union rights in Malaysia, and not permit any form or discrimination at the workplace or related to work amongst workers doing the same work and/or working at workplaces of principals or owners.

(4) The Malaysian Bar takes the stand that labour suppliers and/or contractors of labour should never be or continue to be employers of workers after they are supplied, accepted and start working at the workplaces of principals or owners. Thereafter, these workers shall be employees of the principal or owners of the workplace.

(5) That the Malaysian Bar continues to struggle for the promotion and protection of worker and trade union rights in Malaysia, including for just employment relationship, basic living wages and freedom of association consistent with the Principles of Decent Work and other universally recognised standards and principles.

The motion, as amended, was unanimously carried.

 

Resolutions adopted at the 66th Annual General Meeting of the Malaysian Bar held at Sunway Putra Hotel, Kuala Lumpur (Saturday, 10 Mar 2012)

DOSH - To be Privatized or Not - Opinions

Enforcement role must remain with DOSH

Letters


Wednesday, 24 Apr 2019 12:00 AM MYT

WE refer to the letter “Privatisation a good option” (The Star, April 5) in which the writer proposed the privatisation of the enforcement functions of agencies under the Human Resources Ministry, including the Department of Safety and Health (DOSH).

While we at DOSHtech (association of former staff of DOSH) laud the idea, an in-depth study and careful deliberation on its practicability must be carried out by the stakeholders concerned.

Privatisation should continue to provide a balanced ecosystem where the expected level of safety and health at workplaces are sustainable and, more importantly, at a cost that does not burden industries.

DOSH enforces the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 (OSHA) and Factories and Machinery Act (FMA) 1967 and regulations made thereunder.

Factories and installations, designated machinery, lifts, hoisting machinery and etc. are subjected to regular inspections and certified as appropriate. DOSH ensures compliance to safe engineering practices of designated machinery through a detailed design review, fabrication inspection and tests before they are used for the first time. Certificates of competency are issued to qualified and accredited personnel, including but not limited to electric lift competent persons, steam engineers and engine drivers, crane operators, safety and health officers, site safety supervisors, chemical hazards risk assessors and noise assessors, prescribing the roles and responsibilities in their line of duty.

Malaysia has undergone rapid industrialisation, which inadvertently increased the volume of work that places a heavy burden on the available DOSH inspectors to perform comprehensive and thorough inspections effectively.

Suggestions and feedback from industries indicate that it is appropriate for the government to consider outsourcing designated inspection activities to a private or corporate entity to ease the burden. However, the entity must guarantee a sufficient number of qualified inspectors (including retired DOSH inspectors) who possess the knowledge and experience to perform the duties.

The results should be reflected in improved inspection schedules and enhanced service quality that benefit industries and the public.

Occupational safety health (OSH) inspection entails the risk assessment of workplaces, and competent industrial hygienists are qualified to perform the duty.

The writer’s idea of privatising the enforcement role of agencies under the Human Resources Ministry should be clarified. While the inspection activity could be outsourced to a private service provider, the enforcement of the law is an entirely different matter.

The pollution of Sungai Kim Kim is outside the purview of DOSH. There are designated government and statutory bodies that are responsible for enforcing the law on offenders who cause such serious health effects, suffering and misery to the public and damage to the environment.

But OSH enforcement is within the jurisdiction of DOSH, and this regulatory function must not be privatised or outsourced. Trained DOSH inspectors are guided by the Enforcement Uniformity Model (EUM), a tool that is applied to assess enforcement decisions in accordance with the severity of the offences. The power to enforce and proceed with the legal process against the offender is the responsibility of DOSH.

Perhaps other agencies in the Human Resources Ministry (with the exception of DOSH) could be merged, particularly those that deal with non-technical matters like the enforcement of minimum age and wages, unions and industrial relations, worker’s welfare and social security.

The inherent tasks and job description of DOSH inspectors are to enforce laws and regulations that are very prescriptive and technical in content, of which possession of an engineering degree is a prerequisite during recruitment.

Hence, DOSH should not be merged with any other agencies. It must remain a separate entity so that it can continue to provide objective and professional enforcement to protect the safety and health of workers.

MOHAMAD OTHMAN

President

DOSHtech - Star, 24/4/2019

 



Privatisation a good option

Letters


Friday, 05 Apr 2019 12:00 AM MYT

AS a retired Human Resources Ministry official, it is horrifying for me to read news about industrial accidents, especially those that involve fatalities.

The recent Sungai Kim Kim pollution incident is not just a blatant disregard for environmental laws but also points to poor enforcement of workplace safety.

When I was in service, one of the proposals to beef up enforcement involving the Human Resources Ministry was to merge and privatise it. But this proposal was shot down many times by those who have vested interests, including key officials in the ministry.

Right now, different agencies under the ministry have their own enforcement unit. For example, the Labour Department acts against employers who do not pay salaries on time. The Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) goes after companies who fail to meet minimum health and safety standards at the workplace. The list goes on.

This present arrangement has resulted in an environment where agencies work in silos. For example, a DOSH official on his rounds in factories will not act against employers hiring illegal workers even if he stumbles upon them.

His jurisdiction is confined only to workplace health and safety, not workers without permits. And by the time he informs the relevant authorities about this, the illegal worker would have gone into hiding.

This creates inefficiency and is more costly. Under the proposed unified enforcement unit, one person can take over the jobs of multiple staff from different agencies.

The current arrangement also creates room for enforcement officials to build “relationships” with parties which they are supposed to oversee. As we know, “familiarity breeds contempt”, if not outright corruption.

This is why a unified and privatised enforcement team can help plug the existing loopholes in the system. For a fee to government coffers, companies can bid for licences to carry out such enforcement. Since private corporations are profit-driven, they would have more incentives to ensure not just tight enforcement but also optimum use of manpower. Companies found to have slacked or engaged in dubious activities could have their licences revoked.

Privatisation of enforcement is not new. In Malaysia, vehicle inspection, previously undertaken by the Road Transport Department, is now done by Puspakom, a private company.

But unlike Puspakom, enforcement of laws pertaining to labour and human resources should not be monopolised by one company but should be opened up to enable competition, which will bring about efficiency.

Singapore, a country known for top-notch efficiency, has also privatised some of its enforcement. For example, there are five commercial auxiliary police forces authorised to provide armed security to government organisations. Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) has also authorised multiple companies to conduct vehicle inspections.

Additionally, privatising enforcement responsibilities is also in line with the government’s aspirations to trim the civil service. As we can see, there’s plenty of potential the government and public can derive from having a merged and privatised enforcement. In the spirit of new Malaysia, I appeal to Human Resources Minister M. Kula Segaran to seriously consider this long-overdue proposal.

HOPEFUL
Grik, Perak - Star, 5/4/2019

Section of DOSH enforcement division up for privatisation (Borneo Post, 11/1/2020)

Section of DOSH enforcement division up for privatisation

By Jacqueline Raphael on January 11, 2020, Saturday at 12:09 AM Sarawak

Kulasegaran (seated centre), flanked by Dr Ting (second right) and Nor Halim, joins DOSH Miri staff in a photo-call.

MIRI: A certain section of the Department of Safety and Health (DOSH) Sarawak’s enforcement division would be privatised to counter the problem of insufficient manpower.

In stating this, Human Resources Minister M Kulasegaran observes that the enforcement section only has 111 technical officers, which is insufficient to ensure smooth running of the department.

“The enforcement section has shortage of enforcement officers. DOSH Sarawak had applied for 50 new officers, but the government, since several years ago, had not allowed (for) additional staffing.

“We have looked at other efforts, and have proposed for a certain section of the enforcement (division) to be taken over by the private sector. This will enable the department to relieve its enforcement officers, so that they can concentrate on some other areas,” he told reporters after attending a briefing at DOSH Miri office yesterday, where Pujut assemblyman Dr Ting Tiong Choon and DOSH Sarawak director Dr Nor Halim Hasan were also present.

Kulasegaran said the plan to privatise a section of DOSH was not something new; rather, this had started in 1998. However, the proposal had yet to take effect, he said.

“Last year when I visited Singapore, I saw that their privatised enforcement section had saved a lot of government’s money and time. The enforcement operation was also (running) much better, where complaints and corruption or allegation of this nature, had been very much reduced.

“So I’m proposing that we accelerate the proposal for privatisation. This will also allow, maybe 50 per cent of the enforcement staff to go and do other works – so they will have enough manpower to conduct investigations, audits and other things,” said the minister.

Kulasegaran disclosed that one of the most worrying things was the number of backlog of inspections throughout the country. In 2018, about 30 per cent of inspections could not be done due to insufficient manpower.

“But the situation is better in Sarawak, with only about 10 per cent of backlog. I must thank DOSH Sarawak director and his team for doing a good job,” he said, adding that the target should be to have zero backlog and zero occupational accidents.

Meanwhile, Kulasegaran was happy to note the improvement and progress shown by DOSH Sarawak over the past year.

“Last year, only 32 fatalities recorded from workplace accidents, versus 47 in 2018. This is an improvement and the reason for this could be caused by increased inspections by the DOSH,” he said.

He added that last year, DOSH also recorded a total of 28 permanent disability cases, 414, non-permanent disability cases as well as 450 cases of occupational poisoning and diseases.

“I was given to understand that some were hearing loss, because the workers were not wearing hearing(-protection) gears,” he said.

DOSH Sarawak also recorded about RM2 million in revenue and RM928,500 derived from compounds and prosecution cases last year – in comparison, DOSH revenue for the whole country was RM35 million.

That same year, a total of 1,744 punitive actions were taken against companies in Sarawak.

Touching on the incident of collapsed girder beams during the construction works on a bridge at the Pujut Link component of the Pan Borneo Highway development here last month, Kulasegaran said the department was still waiting for the forensic report to be completed.

“DOSH is conducting a forensic study about the matter. It’s being done now, but not yet completed. For the interim, we allow them to remove the debris.

“So we are now waiting for two things – the forensic study report as well as plans from the contractor involved about the incident and what has been done,” he added. - Borneo Post, 11/1/2020

Taman Desa condo collapse - 4 trapped (EdgeMarkets 14/2/2020)

Taman Desa condo collapse: DOSH officers dispatched to investigate incident

Adam Aziz

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theedgemarkets.com

February 14, 2020 22:57 pm +08

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KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 14): The Ministry of Human Resources said a team of investigation officers from the Department of Occupational Safety and Health Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya has been dispatched to check the collapse of a condominium structure in Taman Desa this afternoon.

The team has been sent there to identify the cause of the accident that took place at the residential area located along Jalan Klang Lama here, and to determine whether there have been any breaches under the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 and the Factories and Machinery Act 1967.

“As at 7pm, the investigation officers are still waiting for permission from the Fire and Rescue Department to enter the accident site, before proceeding with the investigation,” the Ministry said in a statement this evening.

The Ministry, however, did not state if there had been any injuries or fatalities from the incident.

Earlier, Bernama reported that four people were trapped when part of the structure of the condominium, which is still under construction, collapsed at around 3pm. At the time, it said one had been rescued and had been sent to hospital.

It also quoted a spokesman from the Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department as confirming the incident. - Edge Markets, 14/2/2020

Perak company fined RM35,000 for negligence in contractor's death(NST, 1/8/2019)

Perak company fined RM35,000 for negligence in contractor's death

By Shaarani Ismail - August 1, 2019 @ 2:41pm

 

IPOH: A company was fined RM35,000 by the Sessions Court here today for negligence which resulted in the death of its contractor while fixing the company’s roof five months ago.

Lysaght Galvanized Steel Bhd which represented by its director and chief executive officer, Chua Tia Bon pleaded guilty when the charge was read to him before Judge Norashima Khalid.

According to the charge sheet, the 69-year-old man was accused of failing to ensure the safety, health and welfare of his employee while on duty.

Chua was also accused of failing to conduct safety workplace system in term of checking, fixing and changing the roof works which resulted in the death of its 55-year-old contractor Cheong Kim Loong.

Chua allegedly committed the offence at the company in Tasek Industrial Area here on April 22.

He was charged under Section 17(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994, punishable under Section 19 of the same act.

The offence carries a maximum fine of RM50,000 and jail term of up to two years.

Lysaght Galvanized Steel Bhd which represented by its director and chief executive officer, Chua Tia Bon pleaded guilty when the charge was read to him before Judge Norashima Khalid. - NSTP/EMAIL

Deputy Public Prosecutor Fazira Azita Abdul Rashid represented DOSH, while the accused was not represented.

Earlier, the accused during mitigation said he was upset over the incident and has since improved the company’s safety system.

Chua said it was the first recorded case at the company and it has been following safety measures which set by the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) following the incident, while pleading for a lower penalty.

However, Fazira Azira requested the court to impose a just punishment against the company as it had been operating for more than 40 years and that the incident should serve as a lesson.- NST, 1/8/2019