KUALA LUMPUR, March 6 — A Felcra Berhad staff who was caught on video being yelled at by her superior during a plantation visit, said that such practice is a usual affair in the plantation industry, adding that female workers like her are accustomed to it.

In a video uploaded by Felcra on its official Twitter page, the staff said that her chief operations officer (COO) Khairi Makmur had raised his voice after finding that there were more unripened oil palm kernels, compared to ripened ones, and this is an issue as it means losses.

“So for plantation workers, that is the proper learning way. So for outsiders who do not understand this, they will of course make all sorts of remarks, as they were not present there and witnessed the way the COO spoke.

“So for us females who work in plantations, we don’t have an issue being yelled and all that.

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“So yelling and all such things, is a norm in plantations. It is nothing,” she said in the short video clip.

 

 

The incident took place during a visit to Felcra’s plantation site in Kampung Serambi, Pekan, Pahang last Saturday.

The short video clip showed Khairi holding a stick, while berating plantation workers about the disposal of used fertiliser bags.

 

 

He then yelled those in charge of supervising the workers, for allegedly failing to explain to their workers as to how the job should have been done.

Felcra also retweeted another video which showed Khairi teaching Felcra staffs in a plantation using a whiteboard.

While many internet users were quick to condemn Khairi, there were also others who came to his defence.

Twitter user Syanurnad posted: Mai viral this video pulak. Dasar netizen lembik, kena marah boss terus nak viral. Memalukan melayu tau dakk. I tahu org kerja dengan felcra ni melayu jah. Melayu nak maju kena kuat.

(“Go on and make this video viral now. Weak netizens, get scolded by your boss and immediately viral it. It is embarassing to the Malays, you know that. I know those who work with Felcra are only Malays. Malays have to be strong to progress.”)

Another Twitter user by the name Mikhail Hafiz shared a screenshot of a Facebook posting, purportedly by another Felcra staff who was involved in the visit, also defending Khairi.

“Why is it that only the bad videos are viralled? The knowledge sharing video by the COO was not viralled however? We the Felcra staffs are very motivated to bring Felcra back onto the proper track, and we are really in need of guidance from professionals to help us,” the Mohamad Sallehudin who claimed to be a staff of Felcra wrote.