Hanipa Maidin, deputy minister in charge of law said he had asked for a written report on the matter. “I mean business. Any cover-up cannot be tolerated,” he told FMT by text message.

The federal government has a contract with a cleaning company which runs until December. About 20 workers are reported to have staged a strike allegedly because they were not paid their salaries as promised.

According to a source, judge and staff also had to bring their own mops, brooms, brushes, pails and soap to facilitate cleaning works because these items were kept by the workers at a different place.

Newly appointed Chief Justice Richard Malanjum and Chief Judge of Malaya Zaharah Ibrahim are aware of the matter and the Chief Registrar’s Office is organising a gotong-royong programme today.