KUCHING, March 24: The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) Sarawak union has sought help from the Sarawak government to fight for its officials’ right of claim to receive regional allowance.
EPF Sarawak president Ronney Khairuddin appealed this during a courtesy call on the Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg at Wisma Bapa Malaysia in Petra Jaya today.
According to a news report by Sarawak Public Communications Unit (Ukas), Ronney informed that more than 50 officers appointed from 2008 onwards had been denied the right to receive regional allowance thus far.
“We hope the Sarawak government can help the officers and members of EPF Sarawak appointed from 2008 until today to have their right of claim for regional allowances,” he said.
EPF Sarawak was among the three trade unions that paid a courtesy visit to Abang Johari. The other two agencies were the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (IRB Malaysia) and the Social Security Organisation (Socso).
Meanwhile, the IRB Employees Union (Seru) president Mohamad Abdul Manaf said that the courtesy visit was to hold a discussion with the Premier on the supporting roles of the three agencies, which are somewhat isolated from the Sarawak government, especially in terms of assisting in tax collection including activities at the regional level.
“We discussed the support of the trade unions for the agencies, namely IRB, EPF and Socso, in the Sarawak government, especially in helping the government in terms of tax collection, including contributions to activities at the regional level.
“We are committed to supporting the efforts by the Sarawak Premier in driving Sarawak forward as the tax collection rate from last year has increased,” he said.
With Dato Sri Dr Wan Lizozman Wan Omar as the Sarawak State Financial Secretary and also a member of the IRB Board of Directors, Abdul Manaf said he was appreciative and grateful for his appointment to represent Sarawak.
Deputy Minister in Sarawak Premier’s Department (Labour, Immigration and Project Monitoring) Dato Gerawat Gala, KKPS president (Socso) Shamsul Bahri Rahmat, Socso deputy president Abang Mohammed Razali Abang Salleh, Seru vice president (IRB Malaysia) Mohammad Iskandaria Mohamed Tahir and EPF deputy president Ab Kadir Maricar K Isa Maricar were among those present. — DayakDaily
