Friday 29 Mar 2024
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This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on February 12, 2019

KUALA LUMPUR: The Industrial Court has ruled in favour of the former group financial controller of Metronic Engineering Sdn Bhd, Eric Boon Chuan Kit, in a wrongful dismissal case against the company.

The court found that the company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of listed engineering group Metronic Global Bhd, had failed to prove the alleged misconducts of Boon and that his dismissal is with just cause or excuse.

Boon was terminated from his post in July 2017 for allegedly compromising a special audit, among other allegations of misconduct.

The allegations against Boon include his entering of the office premises after working hours when he was put on leave, which the court found was baseless.

It was found that the two letters issued by the company to Boon, requiring his leave of absence, did not in any way prohibit him from being in office and that the company’s allegation of misconduct did not provide details on the time and date when the misconduct took place.

“Further it was the management through the executive director Ric Koh Wai Chee (the potential witness who did not appear in court to testify) who had on May 12, 2017, had directed the claimant to finalise and close the 1Q17 [first quarter of financial year 2017] management account by May 19, 2017 whilst the claimant was on leave of absence,” said Industrial Court chairman Augustine Anthony.

Besides that, there were four other allegations of misconduct made against Boon such as disclosing company trade secrets, missing land titles, failure to submit financial monthly and quarterly reports on time and coming late to the office without valid reason.

The court found all of these allegations to be baseless.

The court ordered Metronic Engineering to pay Boon a sum of RM178,000, derived from his back wages over 24 months totalling RM168,000 plus an added RM10,000 as compensation in lieu of reinstatement.

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