KUCHING: Sarawak United People’s Party Public Complaints Bureau (SUPP PCB) will continue to help members of the public who have problems but do not know how to approach them.
Its chief Wilfred Yap was recently approached by a father whose daughter’s employer had threatened and refused to return his daughter’s identity card until payment of a certain sum of money was made.
In a statement on Tuesday (Sept 22), Yap said he was informed that the girl, 16, had left school and was offered a job as a waitress at a coffeeshop in Serian.
“However instead of working as a waitress in the coffeeshop, the girl’s employer made her work in a pub in Serian and the girl refused as she felt cheated and ran away from her employer.
“The father said after his daughter ran away from her employer, she had requested for the return of her identity card from her employer but to no avail.”
The father said his daughter was scared and anxious and had lodged a police report.
Yap said SUPP PCB had written to the officer-in-charge of Serian District Police Headquarters and Sarawak Police Commissioner Datuk Aidi Ismail to request for a thorough and comprehensive investigation into the matter.
“SUPP PCB will continue to follow up and monitor the situation closely until the investigation is completed by the police.
“SUPP PCB would like to inform the public that employers have no authority under the law to withhold or detain the identity card of their employees.
“Anyone found guilty of committing the offence of wrongful retention or detention of another person’s identity card can potentially face imprisonment and / or a hefty fine.”
