AAM employees yet to get long overdue salaries

PETALING JAYA: Even after several months, the staff of Automobile Association of Malaysia (AAM) have yet to get their long overdue salaries.
After not being paid his salary for four months, Khairul Anwar Ariffin, a dispatch personnel with AAM headquarters in Shah Alam told theSun that he saw no other options but to tender his resignation in November.
“The management promised a number of times to pay our salaries, but it was never fulfilled and before I left I heard all impending salaries will be settled by end of December but there is no sign of it till date,” he said.
He said memos have been circulated to assure employees that their salaries will be paid, but nothing came.
He added the management never took into account the plight of the employees.
Khairul said he had to resign as he could not bear the medical expenses of his then ailing father who had recently passed away.
Another staff known as Azimah, also resigned in August last year and lodged a report with the Labour’s Office in late December last year, seeking her two months salary for July and August.
For the hearing held on January 11, this year, Azimah who attended said no representatives from AAM were present.
Asyraf Abas, who was an administrative staff with the association for six years, called it quits six months ago, and he was not the only one to do so, as his father and uncle who also worked for AAM resigned.
“They didn’t pay us and how are we supposed to pay our bills?, he said. Asyraf also said that he was also told that the salaries will be paid at the end of December, but nothing has come about since.
theSun’s reports from August to October suggests that backdated salaries has been postponed several times.
It is not known, how many others are yet to receive their salaries.
In December theSun reported that a pepper-spray manufacturing private company has assumed control over the debt-ridden AAM, following a takeover in November.
“It is with pleasure, I would like to announce that the takeover of AAM by Stoper Industries Holdings Sdn Bhd had been formalised on Nov 1 this year," a notice bearing the signature of the then CEO read.
However, recent media reports revealed that the move was aborted earlier in January after a two month trial.
It was reported that the two parties entered into a memorandum of agreement (MoA), however the contract was terminated due to non-compliance of the association’s rules. The two parties were planning to form a joint-venture.
Sources also confirmed with theSun, that the move has been aborted.
The motoring association came under fire last year after finding itself floundering over a debt of RM4.5 million. It has since downsized its operations, closing more than half of its 18 branches.