"Don’t Worry, You’ll Get Paid Eventually" RTM Staff Voice Frustration Over Months Without Pay

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RTM employees reportedly have not been paid their full salaries since June 2024. According to The Vibes, more than 700 part-time employees nationwide were hired to do various tasks on a piecemeal basis. This means they were only paid on a project basis or when a particular task was completed.

In August 2024, The Vibes reported that RTM was waiting for funds from the government to pay them off. Employees were also told to work as usual despite no pay coming in.

This issue resurfaced again this month when RTM’s English editor Noor Ainun Jariah Noor Harun voiced her plight on LinkedIn.

Noor Ainun said she’s only two months in her role and has not been paid her first salary. She shared that the higher-ups would give excuses each month when employees enquire about their salaries.

She shared that they have tried filing a formal complaint and bringing it up to the Director-General of RTM countless times but to no avail. Due to inaction and silence from higher-ups, she no longer seeks a response from RTM. Instead, she’s urging the Ministry of Communications and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for help.

Noor Ainun also pointed out the outdated systems used in RTM to monitor employees’ clock-in times. When the machine tracking their attendance broke down, employees were forced to fill in repetitive forms to verify their clock-in times.

The irony is not lost on Noor Ainun, who reads about the government’s initiatives to digitize systems and enhance sustainability. She added that they have to print endless forms for basic administrative tasks.

After her LinkedIn post went viral, Noor Ainun removed it. She claimed that an RTM higher-up called her, stating that the ministry had instructed her to take it down and meet personally.

Nevertheless, others have taken screenshots and posted her post online.

Meanwhile, another LinkedIn user Sharifah Hani Yasmin voiced the issue of employers getting away with poor behaviour.

She spoke of how brave individuals like Noor Ainun stood up for themselves only to face intimidation tactics.

Sharifah asked why employers who exploit their workers do not face repercussions and how long the rights and welfare of employees must be ignored before something changes for the better.

She added that the failure of employers to disburse wages on time is a direct violation of the Employment Act. In this case, employees who aren’t paid on time have the right to seek justice through the Labour Department or take legal action in the industrial courts.

However, she acknowledged that the reality on the ground is far different and enforcement remains inconsistent.

Here’s to hoping RTM employees get paid in full soon.

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