Tuesday, April 7, 2015

MALAYSIA::No March salaries yet for terminated ABN staff / Staf ABN belum terima gaji bulan Mac

Employees of Asia Broadcasting Network's (ABN) news arm terminated from their posts recently, have not yet received their March salaries.

Tycoon KK Eswaran (below), who reportedly has close ties with Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's family, owns 70 percent of ABN through holding company ABN Media Group.

One of the 60 recently sacked workers told Malaysiakini that they may only be getting their March wages next week.

"Our March salaries hasn't been credited. They told us it will only be banked in on the 15," he said on condition of anonymity.
The staff members were given an early release last Friday, after the network shut down its news operations.

They were promised full pay for April, but the financial troubles faced by ABN is making them worried this might not come true.

"I don't know (if I'll get) my April salary. I have no savings, I rely completely on my wages" the source said.

The Edge Financial Daily reported today that ABN is in dire financial straits.

RM36 million in losses reported in 2013

Besides late pay, The Edge report said the company had not deposited EPF contributions for the staff since late last year.

The workers are worried their income tax deductions have also not been deposited.

The last financial statement filed by ABN in 2013 showed the company had accumulated losses of RM36.2 million, and that it has made no revenue since 2009.

The Edge also reported that ABN has a RM450 million Bank Pembangunan loan, and a RM15 million Maybank loan, neither of which have been serviced.

ABN's digital TV service, ABNxcess, had promised to deliver users more than 500 channels as well as 300 Mbps Internet access.


When contacted, Eswaran denied any role in ABN's day-to-day operations.

"I don't know anything about (the operations), I'm just a shareholder," he told Malaysiakini.

He also called The Edge's report defamatory, and has threatened legal action.

"The Edge Financial Daily report is totally defamatory. We have passed it on to our legal team to contact our lawyers to take action.

"If this is a politically-motivated report, they are going to pay heavily for this," he said.

ABN journalists are not the only ones finding themselves in a bind.

Malaysiakini earlier reported that Bernama TV and RTM had difficulties paying salaries, forcing some personnel to delay weddings and take up part time jobs like selling coconut.
Kakitangan media Asia Broadcasting Network's (ABN) yang ditamatkan perkhidmatan baru-baru ini, masih belum menerima gaji mereka bagi bulan Mac.

Seorang daripada 60 kakitangan yang dipecat itu memberitahuMalaysiakini bahawa mereka hanya akan mendapat gaji Mac mereka pada minggu depan.

"Gaji bulan Mac kami masih belum masuk. Mereka beritahu kami, gaji hanya akan dimasukkan ke dalam bank pada 15 hari bulan ini," katanya yang namanya enggan disebut.

Kakitangan diberi pelepasan awal Jumaat lalu, selepas syarikat itu menutup operasinya.

Mereka dijanjikan bayaran penuh untuk bulan April, tetapi krisis kewangan yang dihadapi ABN menyebabkan mereka bimbang ia mungkin tidak menjadi kenyataan.

“Saya tidak tahu (jika saya akan dapat) gaji bulan April. Saya tidak ada simpanan, saya bergantung penuh dengan gaji saya," kata sumber itu lagi.

Akhbar The Edge Financial Daily hari ini melaporkan bahawa ABN kini sedang mengalami masalah kewangan yang teruk.

Cukai pendapatan

Di samping lewat bayar, laporan The Edge menyebut syarikat itu tidak mendepositkan caruman Kumpulan Wang Simpanan Pekerja (KWSP) kepada kakitangan sejak tahun lalu.

Pekerja juga amat bimbang cukai pendapatan mereka turut tidak didepositkan.




Penyata kewangan terakhir difailkan oleh ABN pada 2013 menunjukkan syarikat itu menghadapi kerugian terkumpul sebanyak RM36.2 juta dan ia membuatkan tiada pulangan sejak 2009.

The Edge turut melaporkan bahawa ABN mempunyai pinjaman sebanyak RM450 juta daripada Bank Pembangunan dan RM15 juta daripada Maybank, yang mana kedua-duanya tidak dibayar.

Perkhidmatan TV Digital ABN, ABNxcess, berjanji untuk memberi khidmat kepada lebih 500 saluran dengan akses Internet 300 Mbps.

Pemegang saham syarikat terbesar taikun K Eswaran yang memegang 70 peratus saham ABN melalui syarikat ABN Media Group.

Bantahan kumpulan media

Sementara itu, kumpulan media Gerakan Media Marah (GERAMM) terus memberikan tekanan kepada ABNexcess supaya menjaga kebajikan pekerjanya dengan tidak menamatkan tugas mereka.

"Walaupun jika ada keperluan pihak syarikat untuk menutup unit berita, GERAMM berpendirian jangka notis yang lebih berpatutan patut diberikan berserta pampasan bagi semua kakitangan terbabit.

"GERAMM berharap yang pihak syarikat akan mempertimbangkan semula tindakan pemberhentian mengejut petugas media terbabit dan menyediakan pampasan yang sewajarnya," kata kumpulan itu dalam kenyataannya sebelum ini.

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