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Khalid sacked 30 PKNS employees ‘to stop it from being used as political tool’

PKR sets Friday for Khalid disciplinary hearing on 6 issues

The dismissal of 30 employees of PKNS Holdings Sdn Bhd (PHSB) was a move by Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim (pic) to stop the subsidiary company from being used as a political tool by certain parties, says a source.

Khalid was reportedly unhappy about certain parties using PKNS for their own interests.

"Imagine, there are public relations executives earning RM12,000 a month... a salary that is beyond PKNS's pay scale," the source told The Malaysian Insider yesterday.

"But these officer are in PKNS, not to work for the company, but for the political interests of some.

Yesterday, 30 PHSB contract employees had their contracts terminated and given two months' severence pay.

One of them, Dr Alif Aiman, contacted Bernama last night about the dismissal.

Alif, who was PKNS senior marketing manager, said the 30 were only told their dismissals were in line with the company's restructuring.

It was believed that PKNS acting general manager Azlan Alifiah had met Khalid at his official residence on February 1 at 8.30pm.

At the meeting, the MB was said to have ordered the sacking of all PHSB staff by February 3.

Following that, Azlan ordered the deputy GM of PKNS to carry out Khalid's orders.

The dismissal letters were prepared by PHSB chairman Datin Paduka Norazlina Zakaria on the same day.

The staff were then given their dismissal letters with the severance pay yesterday, effective immediately.

Those dismissed were asked to reapply to PKNS later and they would be deployed according to its needs.

The PKNS issue remains one of the reasons behind the strained ties between Khalid and PKR deputy president Azmin Ali, who was also a former PKNS board member.

Azmin, who is Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyman, was ousted from the PKNS board of directors on January 10.

In the state exco meeting, Azmin's name was not on the list of names proposed as part of the new PKNS board of directors.

The dismissal of the 30 PHSB employees was the first after the Selangor state secretary was ordered by the MB to investigate PKNS.

Prior to this, its general manager, Datuk Othman Omar, and executive secretary, Norita Mohd Sidek, were transferred to the state secretariat building to take over administrative positions.

Khalid had previously said that their removal was to allow investigation into the Azmin's sacking from the board. – February 5, 2014.