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KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) seems to be divided over which party to support in tomorrow’s polls.
Slamming the call by secretary-general J. Solomon for all 14 million workers to support Pakatan Harapan, president Datuk Abdul Halim Mansor said MTUC does not endorse this statement.
He said Solomon has “betrayed” the congress by issuing such a statement on his own accord.
“The statement comes as a shock to me. Any official statement on policy matters must be endorsed by the general council. This is how all the previous council leaders have practised all the while,” Abdul Halim told theSun.
He said MTUC may hold a general council meeting to move a motion to take action against Solomon for issuing the statement without official endorsement.
“The general council can also call for an extraordinary general council meeting to discuss the next course of action. We will not issue a warning or take any harsh action (against Solomon) right now. We will wait for the meeting,” Abdul Halim said.
However, Solomon when contacted over this disagreement, said that a secretary-general has “constitutional powers” to speak on the objectives of the congress and does not require approval from the general council.
“The MTUC president has no locus standi to make any statement on behalf of MTUC nevertheless he has been doing so all the while ignoring the provisions laid out in the constitution.
“This may sound unique that the president has no constitutional powers to give press statements but that is the constitution of MTUC,” he said in a statement later.
Solomon said he stands by his initial statement as this is the “voice of the workers” and reiterated his call to vote for PH.
“This only proves that BN is interfering in the administration of MTUC through the president,” he said. http://www.thesundaily.my/node/546177
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