Indonesians sue son of Malaysian PM

Indonesians sue son of Malaysian PM

PEKANBARU, Riau: An Indonesia-based company owned by a son of Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Muhammad is being sued for the alleged non-payment of bonuses to about 2000 plantation workers.

The workers, employed by PT Aneka Inti Persada, a subsidiary of the Malaysia-based Gutrie Group, filed a lawsuit against the company in the Pekanbaru District Court on Friday for allegedly not paying last year's holiday bonus.

The workers' lawyer, Nuriman, of the Association of Indonesian Workers (SPSI), said his clients were demanding that Gutrie pay them the two-month appraisal bonuses they were owed.

"Gutrie should give equal treatment to all of its workers. It gave appraisal bonuses to other staff members but ignored the plantation workers," Nuriman said.

Gutrie, owned by a son of Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Muhammad, refused to give workers any holiday bonus last year, arguing it had suffered losses of Rp 1.8 billion in 2001.

Gutri bought PT Aneka Inti Persada from the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) in 2001. --JP