KUALA LUMPUR — Human Resources Minister Steven Sim has dismissed attempts by an opposition member who accused the ministry of promoting liberalism through a poster for a gig workers’ town hall session that apparently resembled a church.
Sim today took issue with the claims raised by Bersatu’s Badrul Hisham Shaharin, also known as Chegubard, posted on Facebook recently, calling it a distraction and a minor issue.
“Gig workers in Malaysia need clear legal protections. Past governments have made various promises but never introduced a Bill or mechanism to safeguard their welfare.
“This year, we have the final draft of the Gig Workers Bill. It is now awaiting Cabinet approval before I table it in Parliament. That is my main focus,
“But the opposition is only interested in the event poster. If we consistently focus on such issues, we will be left behind,” Sim said today launching the 2025 National Training Week (NTW) at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre today.
The poster concerned was for the Town Hall Gig Workers 2025 event held on Feb 19 at the Malaysia International Trade Exhibition Centre (Mitec), here.
According to Chegubard, the poster’s backdrop design resembled the interior of a church or cathedral and he questioned if the design was deliberate to show that all religions were equal.
“This is an attempt at extreme pluralism and liberalism,” Chegubard wrote on Facebook two days ago.
Sim today said the ministry had lodged a police report against Chegubard at the Putrajaya police headquarters.
The report was lodged yesterday.
Free Malaysia Today reported that a ministry official who lodged the report said the graphic designer for the poster had used a software to search for “town hall related images”. – February 26, 2025