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‘Big bully’ employer Maxis ordered to pay RM704,000 for wrongful dismissal
KUALA LUMPUR, July 26, 2024: The Industrial Court on July 16 ordered Maxis Broadband Sdn Bhd to pay former employee Ng Keng Seng RM305,664 in back wages and RM398,000 as compensation in lieu of reinstatement for wrongful dismissal.
Court chairman Zulbahrin Zainuddin also ruled that Ng’s annual evaluation reports did not indicate any weakness that warranted his dismissal.
No News Is Bad News reproduces below a news report on the “big bully” employer Maxis:
Maxis manager sacked after 25 years awarded RM704,000 for wrongful dismissal
-26 Jul 2024, 08:30 AM
The Industrial Court says Ng Keng Seng’s annual evaluation reports did not indicate any weakness that warranted his dismissal.
Maxis Broadband Sdn Bhd has been ordered to pay former employee Ng Keng Seng RM305,664 in back wages and RM398,000 as compensation in lieu of reinstatement for wrongful dismissal. (Facebook pic)
PETALING JAYA: A project manager specialist in a leading telecommunications company was awarded RM703,664 in compensation after the Industrial Court ruled his dismissal for poor performance was without just cause or excuse.
In an award dated July 16, the Kuala Lumpur Industrial Court noted that Ng Keng Seng’s performance had never been appraised as unsatisfactory throughout his 25-year stint with the firm.
Court chairman Zulbahrin Zainuddin instead found that between 2017 and 2019, Ng’s employer, Maxis Broadband Sdn Bhd, had said his performance partially meets expectations (PME).
The court also noted that Ng’s annual evaluation reports over the three years neither provided reasons for the PME rating nor listed weaknesses in the performance of duties to warrant a dismissal.
Instead, Zulbahrin said that despite being rated PME, the company had in the three reports recorded its thanks to Ng for his contribution and commitment.
The court also noted that Ng had received RM26,132 as a token of appreciation for his efforts.
According to evidence led in court, Ng was placed on a three-month ad-hoc performance improvement plan (PIP) on Sept 1, 2020 following his three consecutive PME ratings.
However, Zulbahrin found that this requirement was only implemented in January 2021. Prior to that, only those appraised as unsatisfactorywould be placed in the PIP programme, he said.
The court took note that there was no attention to detail or uniformity on the part of management in its application of the correct PIP policy to the claimant (Ng), which had confused and impacted him greatly as the company’s error resulted in his termination without just cause or excuse,
the award read.
According to Zulbahrin, Ng’s immediate superior, Macy Ho, testified that the decision to place him under the PIP programme was made by the company’s human resources department although it had no direct dealings with him on work matters.
Under the terms of the PIP, Ng was given 12 deliverables to accomplish over and above his core duties. The company said this was aimed at improving his performance.
Zulbahrin, however, noted that Ng had written to management questioning the timing of the PIP. Ng had said that 2020 was a challenging year, and that the Covid-19 pandemic required various changes to be made to existing work processes.
The court noted that Ng also expressed concern about his workload, especially with his department introducing a new core network to add capacity and partnering with a new vendor.
Ng had also expressed concern that the PIP programme had been imposed on him during the busiest period of the year, Zulbahrin added.
The unclear PIP programme caused Ng hardship and affected his concentration when carrying out his daily duties. It also impeded the performance of his essential duties, the award read.
As a result, Ng failed all three appraisals and was told that his services would be terminated with effect from Feb 28 the following year.
However, Zubahrin found that the PIP deliverables had obstructed Ng’s discharge of his core duties and was not designed to improve his performance.
On the contrary, it had the tendency to burden the claimant, causing him to fail, and providing the company with an avenue to terminate his services, the award said.
Ng joined the company as network management control system operator in 1995, drawing a monthly basic salary of RM2,400. He eventually assumed his current post, earning RM15,920 per month when his services were terminated in 2021.
Ng was awarded 24 months’ back wages, which after a 20% deduction for post-dismissal earnings, amounted to RM305,664. He was also given one month’s pay for each of his 25 years of service, totalling RM398,000, as compensation in lieu of reinstatement.
Patrick Tan appeared for Ng, while Maxis was represented by Janice Anne Leo, Adrienne Sena and Gurjeevan Singh Sachdev.
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