SHAH ALAM, Feb 13 — Nineteen former employees of a Selangor Development Corporate (PKNS) subsidiary filed an appeal today with the Department of Industrial Relations, claiming they were terminated from their jobs without sufficient notice or justification.

The former staff of PKNS Holdings Sdn Bhd (PHSB) also denied the allegations of wrongdoing pinned on them, adding that they were not even investigated for their purported transgressions before being terminated from their jobs 10 days ago.

“Until today, we feel we are victims but we still do not know why we are terminated,” Dr Alif Aiman Abdullah, formerly the marketing head for PKNS, told reporters here.

“We just want our jobs back, we just want our lives back, that’s all,” he added.

Alif related that PKNS acting general manager Azlan Mohd Alifiah had on January 30, offered to promote the former to the position of group marketing chief.

Only five days later, Alif said he and and 18 others were called in for a meeting where they were handed over termination letters, which was signed the day before.

In the letters, the reason given for their termination was because of a corporate restructuring exercise, Alif said.

The shock sacking of the PHSB employees, dubbed the PKNS 19, followed the sudden exit of Datuk Othman Omar and Norita Mohd Sidek.

Both Othman and Norita were relieved of their duties as PKSN general manager and executive secretary respectively last month, over the removal of Selangor PKR chief Azmin Ali from PKNS’ board of directors.

Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim has maintained that the job cull at PHSB was due to revelations made by whistleblowers.

He added that the move was also part of a restructuring exercise within the state-owned body aimed at trimming its costs.

Khalid claimed that PKNS has saved almost RM7 million a year from the restructuring exercise.

Former PHSB senior manager Azlan Jamil told a news conference today that the amount of the savings made was dubious.

He said the total salaries for the 19 only amount to about RM2 million while the rental of office space is less than RM50,000 a year.

Former PHSB human resources head Rina Sarif, who was also at the same news conference, said that PKNS 19 were fighting not only for themselves but also for rights of every employee in the country.

“Let me specify here that all of us are fighting for social justice, not just for us, but also for employees in Malaysia, so that employers will not do the same,” she said.

The Selangor MB had justified the sacking by saying a whistle-blower alleged that promotions of permanent staff members were blocked because of PHSB employees, and that their hires were based on recommendations.

Alif pointed out however that most of them were brought in by headhunters and were interviewed by the senior management at PKNS.

“We haven’t made any personal attacks, any accusations. We haven’t made up any stories, because we have none,” he said.

“... hopefully, justice will take its course and that we will be vindicated at the end of the day,” he added.