"Sarawak's Shing Yang Accused of Violating Workers' Rights," 23 August 2019

...Sarawak timber company Zedtee Plywood Sdn Bhd has been instructing workers not to vote in a secret ballot... in violation of their right to freedom of association, according to the Timber Industry Employees Union of Sarawak (TIEUS).

Zedtee Plywood, part of the Shin Yang Group, employs more than 1000 workers in Tatau, Sarawak. It has previously been the subject of two separate freedom of association complaints regarding the termination of a union organiser who had spoken out against violations of labour law and workers’ contracts, including illegal deductions for sick leave, overtime violations, and the destruction of migrant workers’ personal property.

The union states that the company began the meetings after seeing a facebook post in which the union had held an out-of-work-hours activity educating Zedtee workers about their rights as workers and how to participate in the upcoming union election.

 A Zedtee Plywood worker who declined to be named fearing management reprisal, said workers were “briefed” daily not to attend the secret ballot, let alone vote. He said the briefings were conducted by factory manager, Chan Souh Teng, Production Manager...