A bleak Deepavali for Hindu journalists

BY: A Media Practitioner Out Cold

It is looking to be a bleak Deepavali for several Hindu journalists of a local online portal as their employer has gone rogue in terms of settling their wages.

With 48 – hours to go in the anticipation of the celebrations of the festival of lights – the victory of good over evil, would be the furthest thing from the minds of those unfortunate workers.

Instead, they would be wondering during the celebrations on what is the point of exposing wrongdoings when they themselves are not protected by the relevant authorities.

In this day and age, there are Malaysian workers, who have to suffer the ignominy of not having their salaries paid – it is like we are somewhere in the African continent.

Or perhaps, the journalists are foot soldiers in Africa where the gun is definitely mightier than the pen.

Certainly, we should not qualify as a BRICS associate member if a simple account of employers paying the salaries of their employees cannot be executed.

What’s the point of joining BRICS, if the basic rights of Malaysian workers cannot be enforced and protected?

Our working class just want to earn a decent living with their rights firmly protected – they are uninterested in how friendly we are with China or Russia or the USA.

Again, what’s the point of joining BRICS if journalists – the so – called defender of rights, cannot even have adequate money to put food on their families table.

Besides the customary salaries, also missing are their statutory contributions, which its learnt to be over 18 – months for some of the journalists.

The message getting across, is not just why salaries are not paid but how come the authorities allow an errant employer to continue operating without any censure.

If the authorities had reacted earlier, the employer may be compelled to cease operating and offer within the law, a severance package.

Those affected may yet enjoy Deepavali, knowing that the future is in their own hands unlike now where they cannot resign because they want their backdated dues paid.

Life then goes on despite how depressing the media industry has become.

How come up to several months of statutory contributions went unsettled and the likes of the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), Social Security Organisation (SOSCO) and the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) just wait by the wayside.

Adding salt to the wound, is that the victims are none other than journalists – a group of employees one would figure is supposed to report on such gross disrespect of the law.

Yes, employers may be given a reprieve of not settling statutory claims for a few months if there are operating hiccups such as cash flow issues but to allow it to linger on for several months, it is irresponsible on the part of the statutory bodies.

And where is the Madani concept of accountability in the whole scheme of things?

Where is the Human Resources Minister, who is adept in reciting poetry?

This has happened under his watch – he should be busy enforcing his key performance index instead of waiting for an occasion to recite poems.

This is the long standing problem in the country – the taxpayer monies spent on agencies and authorities, who are supposed to safeguard Malaysians, but end up doing nothing.

See the 1MDB monster financial crises as an example – how come Bank Negara allowed the movement of funds without querying the banks or the account holders.

In the end, the country ends up in mounting debt.

The banks and the individuals should be sued for victimising an entire nation.

Before the candles are lit as a symbol of good ousting evil, let us pray that no other Malaysian worker needs to endure what these unfortunate journalists are facing.

Do not make the struggle of journalists yesterday’s news.