Published: Tuesday December 23, 2008 MYT 2:52:00 PM
Updated: Tuesday December 23, 2008 MYT 3:10:41 PM
Sarawak to hold talks with Western Digital
By JACK WONG


KUCHING: The state government has appealed to US computer hard disk drive manufacturer Western Digital to reconsider shuttering its Sarawak operations and laying off all 1,500 employees.

Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam said the company should especially retain its experienced engineers and technicans by transferring them to other plants in the peninsula.

Western Digital, which will shut down its manufacturing facility in Sama Jaya Free Indusdrial Zone here by March, after 13 years in operations, has factories in Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Johor.

Dr Chan, also state Industrial Development committee chairman, said the company had built up a dedicated team of engineers and technicians who had acquired special skills.

“It would be sad to see their talents go to waste (if they were laid off) just because of an economic downturn,” he told reporters.

Dr Chan is expected to meet the company’s top officials soon to discuss the plight of its employees.

Meanwhile, Sarawak MTUC secretary Andrew Lo said the union would meet all affected employees to decide on its response to Western Digital’s decision to cease its Sarawak operations.