Top Glove Steps Up After Whistleblower Whine
In a twist that makes a swat‑team inspection in a nursing home look routine, Malaysia’s top medical‑glove supplier, Top Glove Corp Bhd, has announced that its new‑fangled “no‑firing‑for‑talking‑back” policy is now in full swing. The change comes after a scandal involving a young Nepali worker, Yubaraj Khadka, who allegedly got the boot for sending photos of colleagues partying too close to each other (the factory had to admit: the “social distancing” was more about the word than the people).
Three Help‑Lines, One Less Firing Stress
Lee Kim Meow, the Managing Director with the knack for turning a crisis into a PR workout, told a local radio station that the company has set up three help‑lines — one internal, and the other two staffed by a consultant and an audit firm (which, by the way, will be “the person in charge of the phone lines, not the one with the funny accent”). These hotlines aim to give workers a place to vent or lodge complaints without the fear of being canned or punching a tripwire in the back.
Why Khadka Got the Boot – and Why He’s No More
Last month, Khadka took risk‑free (“I’ve gotten hostile therapy for photo‑taking?”)-Maya style photos in May of coworkers congregating inside a Top Glove factory, and passed them to a worker‑rights activist. The company interpreted this as a betrayal and terminated his employment. But the new policy promises, “If this incident happens today, this termination will not happen because we’ve hired consultants to guide us on the right thing to do,” Mr. Lee assured.
Top Glove: The “Super‑Virus” Factory
Shortly after Khadka’s fiasco, the plant became the epicenter of Malaysia’s biggest COVID‑19 cluster, with over 5,000 workers infected. Two other glove‑melt factories reportedly had outbreaks as well. The company recently confirmed the first fatality from the virus.
From Learning to Doing
Lee was candid about the learning curve, saying, “From this episode, we’ve learned a lot. We’re humbled by the fact that there are still a lot of areas for improvement.” He promised that the company would do more to improve conditions, though he did not name the external firms running the help‑lines.
In the Echo Chamber
When asked if Khadka had shared any feedback about the working conditions, Mr. Lee replied, “We actually spoke to him and he admitted his intention was to pass the photo to someone so that basically that someone will use it to discredit Top Glove.” Despite this, the firm says it has since improved its processes.
Bottom line: whoever used to fear being fired for speaking out will now get the calm reassurance that help lines, consultants, and a public beat‑down could save a thunderstorm of FDs (Fear‑to‑Dooms). Meet New policy, meet the future of worker safety.
