Tuju relief as Supreme Court agrees to hear appeal over Sh4.5bn loan row

The Kuala Lumpur High Court has suspended an order requiring the Malayan Commercial Banks' Association (MCBA) and the National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE) to resume negotiations over festival aid payments for workers, pending the association's appeal to the Court of Appeal. Justice Norliza Othman granted the stay, stating that the parties could face serious and irreversible harm if negotiations were interrupted.

The dispute centers around the payment of festival aid to eligible B40 and M40 members, with NUBE claiming one month's salary for its members. The association previously paid the aid in 2023 but refused to do so in 2024. The case was initially referred to the Industrial Court by the human resources minister, who subsequently allowed NUBE's judicial review application and ordered the parties back to negotiations.

The association and the minister have now appealed the stay, with the appeal set for March 22 next year. The High Court's decision was based on the potential prejudice to NUBE if the association wins the appeal, as the matter would need to be relitigated.