PETALING JAYA: Committee members of the Malaysian Trades Union Congress, whose election has been declared illegal, have been accused of flouting a court order that bars them from representing the MTUC at official meetings and seminars.
A group of 11 affiliates, led by former MTUC president Halim Mansor, had obtained the order on Aug 11 after the Shah Alam High Court declared as null and void MTUC’s elections at its delegates conference last year.
On Aug 23, the MTUC obtained a conditional interim stay order which limited the current committee members to conducting only day-to-day administrative affairs and restraining them from making policy decisions on MTUC’s behalf.
The court also ordered the officials not to conduct any fresh elections.
General council member A Sivananthan, who is the spokesman for the affiliates, said the group had evidence of the top leaders taking part in official events outside the office despite being barred from doing so.
He said since the court had declared the leaders’ election as null and void, they had no business other than to keep the MTUC office functional and ensure the staff are paid their salaries until the case is heard on Sept 27.
“However, they are attending government-linked board meetings such as EPF and Socso. They are also speaking at seminars and meetings in the capacity of their unlawfully elected positions. They are blithely ignoring the court order,” he told FMT.
Sivananthan said his group would be submitting an official complaint to the Registrar of Societies before filing for committal proceedings against the MTUC leadership for contempt of court.
MTUC secretary-general Kamarul Baharin Mansor declined to comment when contacted by FMT.