Over 2,000 Employees Turn Up for a Fresh Start
 
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 21 (Bernama) -- Thomas Philip Advocates and Solicitors (Thomas Philip), the lawyers acting on behalf of the new Board of Directors (BoD) of WRP Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd (WRP), today announced the much anticipated milestone of restarting WRP’s operations following the implementation of concrete actions by the new BoD to get the house in order and rebuild the company.
                                                                              
The lawyers shared that WRP’s Salak Tinggi factory will initially run at about a quarter of its capacity till the end of June this year, producing and shipping surgical, examination and high risk gloves that adhere to the most stringent international quality standards to customers in Europe, Japan and Canada.
 
Speaking about this much awaited news, Founder and Managing Partner of Thomas Philip, Mathew Thomas Philip, who is now the Special Counsel for WRP said, “We are very pleased that the operations have recommenced despite the multitude of legacy issues we faced when the new board was established. From regularisation of workers to negotiating with utility companies, it has been an arduous journey, but with today’s milestone, it is clear that the hard work of all parties involved has paid off.”
 
“While restarting of operations is great news, it is only the beginning of better things to come. Over the next few months, we will be ramping up operations in phases and expect to reach full capacity by the end of the year. With the tremendous urgent demand for our products, we are confident that we will be able to turn around WRP quickly and maximise production,” he added.
 
The new BoD, led by TAEL Partners which is a fund management entity, is committed to identifying and remedying actions by the previous management which may have led to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issuing a withhold release order against WRP. They have already engaged Impactt Limited, a UK-based ethical trade consultancy, to assist in this process.
 
Over the last three months, the BoD has undertaken a series of sweeping changes at WRP, including the appointment of a President to lead the change; new executive line up to ensure greater transparency; agreed settlements with utility companies to restore power and gas supply; improved working and living conditions for WRP workers amongst various other efforts.
 
The recently appointed President of WRP, Leong Wai Leong said, “It is an honour to have the confidence of the board and while this past month has been hectic with several areas demanding immediate attention, I am glad we have crossed the first threshold of restarting operations. We still have many tough decisions to make ahead and I look forward to the support from my team as no progress will be possible without all of us coming together.”
 
Joyanal Abdin, a Production Supervisor from Bangladesh who has been with WRP for over 5 years said, “I am just happy to start back work. For us no work means no money; the only reason we come to work here is so we can provide for our families back in our country. My friends and I hope things will get better for all of us from now and we are willing to work hard for that.”
 
With high morale among WRP’s employees and workers, the BoD is expected to continue making changes progressively across all aspects of the company, including its people, processes and procedures, to ensure an expeditious and effective turnaround of WRP.

SOURCE: Chimera Brand Relations

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:  
Chimera Brand Relations
Name: Abiramy Chelvam
Tel: 017 – 276 3841
Email: abi@chimera.com.my  

--BERNAMA