Kamarul Baharin Mansor said he had been nominated by the National Union of Waste Management Workers in MTUC’s court-ordered triennial election.
PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC), which resolved its six-year leadership crisis with a triennial election after a court intervention in August, is now facing a new problem.
It is unable to carry out its day-to-day functions after the Registrar of Societies (RoS) declined to endorse the newly elected office-bearers.
As a result, the labour centre is facing administrative difficulties as there are no bank signatories to pay staff salaries or draw funds for the maintenance of its headquarters.
Its secretary-general, Kamarul Baharin Mansor, said the RoS informed him that it was investigating complaints from two MTUC affiliates, including allegations that he was not eligible to stand for election or hold the post as he was not employed by any firm that is a member of the union.
Kamarul, who told FMT that he is still employed and eligible to hold the post, was nominated by the National Union of Waste Management Workers in the election.
“MTUC submitted the list of elected office-bearers for the 2025-2028 term soon after the election in August, following a court order appointing a committee headed by former MTUC secretary-general J Solomon to conduct the polls.
“We have written two letters and met RoS officials to seek their endorsement so we can carry out business as usual.
“But two weeks ago, I was informed that they were probing the two complaints, so they cannot endorse the leadership yet,” he said.
Kamarul said the RoS should not drag the matter as headquarters staff and their families were the ones suffering.
One source said employees have not received their October and November salaries, and that power supply at MTUC’s headquarters was recently disconnected after several months of unpaid bills.
Kamarul said MTUC has also been unable to nominate a workers’ representative to the boards of the EPF, the Inland Revenue Board, the National Labour Council, and the National Wages Council.
“The workers have been deprived of representation in these important bodies for far too long,” he said.
He said MTUC has given the RoS until Nov 30 to resolve the impasse, failing which all 19 committee members will go to its headquarters in Putrajaya to meet the registrar.
The major leadership crisis, which led to legal disputes and RoS intervention, was resolved with the re-election of Halim Mansor as president.
The Shah Alam High Court ordered the re-election after the 2022 delegates conference and its election were declared null and void.
FMT has reached out to Halim, home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, and RoS director-general Zulfikar Ahmad for comment.
