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MTUC fear... Posted: 13 Dec 2013 10:55 PM PST The Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC) said the riot involving foreign workers in Singapore last week must be seen as a wake call for Malaysia as it could anytime happen in the country. And based on its fear, the Congress has called on the government to hold a tripartite discussion between the authority, employers and employees to work out a strategy to prevent rioting by foreign workers. I don't understand the basic for MTUC fear. The incident in Singapore had nothing to do with industrial issues but due to a fatal accident involving one of the workers' colleague. It was totally a different story! The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) has called on the Human Resource Ministry to hold a tripartite meeting between the government, employers and employees to work out a strategy to prevent rioting by foreign workers. Its president, Khalid Atan, said a recent foreign workers riot in Singapore should serve as a wake-up call to Malaysia in preparing a strategy to anticipate and contain such an occurrence. Growing discontent among foreign workers in Malaysia due to poor working conditions, discrimination and low wages are like a "time bomb", he said, adding so far dissatisfaction among foreign workers in the country were confined to factories and work places. Khalid felt that if a widespread discontent among foreign workers was not addressed, it could spell trouble for the country in years to come. He said the MTUC felt that the government should take steps to reduce and even curtail recruitment of foreign workers until it could come out with a plan to cater to their basic needs and rights. The government should also stop outsourcing companies from importing workers who then fail to find jobs here, he added. Last Sunday, about 400 South Asian migrant workers angered by an accident, battled the police and set vehicles ablaze in Singapore's worst rioting in decades, leaving 39 policemen and emergency workers injured. I believe MTUC should engage itself in more meetings and dialogues with the government agencies in search of a solution to enhance the well being of foreign workers in Malaysia, especially those who are not represented by any workers' union. Many foreign workers are also serving illegal factories and other unregistered outlets with low pay and poor living condition. Why don't the Congress conduct a survey on that, instead of fearing this and that on the ground that if it happens in another country, it could also happen here. Ooppsss... I seldom see stories about MTUC in the local newspapers of late. Perhaps its time to score some headlines!

Hail our soldiers! Posted: 13 Dec 2013 11:44 AM PST We should be proud of our soldiers for protecting the country's sovereignty, keeping it safe for us to breathe. They are our brothers in arms. Their participation in international peacekeeping forces in other countries too is well-recognised. They were in Congo, Palestine and Somalia to help stabilise the region and reinstall peace. In doing so, some died and injured. PETALING JAYA: It has been twenty years, and the United States still remembers the Malaysian Armed Forces' role in helping the US Army's 75th Ranger Regiment, 10th Mountain Regiment and 160th Special Operations Air Regiment escape from the First Battle of Mogadishu. In a statement issued after visiting the Malaysian Peacekeeping Centre at Telok Kemang near Port Dickson Friday to mark its successful achievement of full training capability, Tom Kelly, the acting assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs, said the United States owed a debt of honour to the Malaysian Armed Forces for putting their lives on the line to rescue their soldiers." The deeds of Malaysia will be remembered forever and the United States offers a million thank-yous for the brave actions of the Malaysian Armed Forces to rescue our soldiers in the incident twenty years ago. One Malaysian was killed and nine were wounded during the rescue operation in Mogadishu," said Kelly. The battle, immortalised in Ridley Scott's movie Black Hawk Down and Mark Bowden's book Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War saw a Malaysian, Corporal Mat Aznan Awang killed when a rocket-propelled grenade hit his Condor armoured personnel carrier during the fighting which ran from Oct 3 to Oct 4, 1993. Aznan was awarded the Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa medal and promoted to Corporal posthumously. Nine other Malaysians were wounded during the fighting in which the Royal Malay Regiment were involved. The omission of these losses in the movie caused outrage in Malaysia when it was released in local cinemas in January 2002. The commander of the Malaysian forces in the 1993 incident, Brigadier-General Abdul Latif Ahmad commented that Scott's movie depicted the Malaysians involved as "mere bus drivers to ferry them out." They will never be forgotten. Footnote: I heard Malacca Chief Minister was considering to honor the 13 cadets who survived when their boat capsized during trainings in Klebang last week with Pingat Gagah Berani (PGB). What? Stop joking around, please!

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