Latest news with #Act2025
Daily Express
14-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
Over 2.1 million Sabah workers benefit
Published on: Thursday, May 15, 2025 Published on: Thu, May 15, 2025 By: Sisca Humphrey Text Size: Rosli (second left) officiates the launch of the eNores system. Kota Kinabalu: Over 2.1 million workers in Sabah now benefit from broader legal protection under the newly enforced Labour Ordinance of Sabah (Amendment) Act 2025. The amendment, officiated at the Tripartite Labour Convention by State Federal Secretary Datuk Seri Rosli Isa, marks the first significant update to the Ordinance in more than 20 years. The Ordinance, effective May 1, 2025, aims to streamline regulatory processes and clarify the rights and obligations of both employers and employees, ensuring greater protection for all workers, including previously unregistered or undocumented workers. 'This change will improve working conditions and safeguard vulnerable workers in remote areas, strengthening legal protections for all,' said Rosli. He said significant updates include longer maternity leave (98 days), new seven-day paternity leave and reduced weekly hours (45), aligning Sabah with national standards and promoting work-life balance. 'These changes reflect our Government's commitment to equal opportunities and family well-being,' he said. He noted that one key issue the amended Ordinance tackles is the high number of undocumented foreign workers. 'Sabah, with a population of 3.8 million, is estimated to host 1.8 million foreign workers, yet only 2.1 million are officially registered, highlighting a large group still without legal protection. 'We estimate that Sabah hosts 1.8 million foreign workers, but only 2.1 million workers are registered. 'This challenge in labour governance is something the Ordinance aims to address through clearer registration frameworks,' he said. Alongside this, Rosli said, the Government remains committed to protecting vulnerable groups, particularly in rural areas, from forced labour and human trafficking. 'An anti-trafficking and forced labour outreach programme recently took place in Merotai Besar, Tawau, involving the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) and the Immigration Department. 'These efforts are crucial to ensuring that all workers, including those in remote communities, are not left vulnerable to exploitation. 'The revised Ordinance not only aims to bring undocumented workers into the legal system but also ensures that vulnerable workers are safeguarded from trafficking and forced labour,' he added. Sabah Labour Department (JTK) Director Wan Zulkfli Wan Setapa said the revised Ordinance ensures shared responsibility between employers and the JTK. 'This ensures that all workers, including those previously unregistered, are brought into the legal system. 'It's a critical step in preventing exploitation and guaranteeing they receive the protections afforded by labour laws,' he said. Rosli also emphasised the Government's commitment to enforcing Malaysia's minimum wage policies, ranging from RM1,500 to RM1,700 depending on the sector. 'These policies ensure fair pay for both local and foreign workers and protect them from exploitation,' he said, addressing concerns that lower wages might encourage the hiring of undocumented workers. A significant part of the event was the launch of the Labour Education Convoy Series, which will travel across the State from capital city to Sandakan, Tawau and other districts, eventually concluding in Tenom. Wan Zulkfli said this seven-day journey aims to raise awareness about the amended Labour Ordinance, focusing on tripartite stakeholders, including the Government, employer groups and workers' unions. 'This convoy represents a significant step in educating and engaging employers, workers and stakeholders to ensure they understand their rights and obligations under the new ordinance,' he said. Under the leadership of JTK Sabah Director, the initiative will focus on educating employers, especially smaller plantation owners and smallholders, about the Ordinance's requirements and helping them navigate the regulatory changes. 'These amendments bring Sabah's labour laws in line with national and international standards, including those under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the International Labour Organization (ILO). He affirmed that this alignment is expected to attract responsible investors and generate high-quality job opportunities for the people of the State. 'The amendment is more than just a legal update. It is about fairness, respect and building a better future for workers in Sabah,' he said while launching the convention, marking a new chapter for workers' rights in East Malaysia. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Business Recorder
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
World Press Freedom Day: PPF draws attention to alarming patterns of intimidation
KARACHI: In 2025, journalists and media professionals in Pakistan find themselves amid an ever-tightening landscape for free expression. Legal challenges through restrictive legislation and cases, overactive regulatory authorities, continued violence against journalists with impunity, and threats to media professionals — the media is working in an environment of intimidation from all fronts. This year began with the passage of the much-opposed Pakistan Electronic Crimes Amendment (PECA) Act 2025 in January which heightened concerns about the legal consequences journalists may face for their reporting, particularly online. Since then, criminal complaints have been registered against media professionals under sections of the amended cybercrime law including Section 26-A which pertains to fake or false information and carries punishments of up to three years of imprisonment, fines up to Rs2 million, or both. In a media environment where broadcast media have been significantly silenced over the years through restrictive regulation and violence against media professionals, the further tightening of screws around expression online spells concern for journalists' ability to report freely without consequences both online and offline. In what has become the norm, the lack of accountability and the role of state bodies — in 2024-25, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), in particular — has set a dangerous pattern of action against media professionals. At the same time, forms of physical violence, including assault and manhandling as well as arrests, detentions, and the issuance of threats to journalists, continued to undermine the safety of media professionals and served as tools to intimidate the media alongside other punitive measures, including the suspension of advertising to media outlets. In 2025, the Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) has so far (January - April) documented at least 34 cases including seven instances of case registration, one defamation notice, three instances of call-up notices by the FIA, two arrests, four detentions, two abductions, at least six instances of assault and two of manhandling, two attacks on property including a raid, three instances of threats including a threat of legal action and threats to family, and two of online harassment. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
BBC News
13-02-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
New law to lift ban on Catholics in Church of Scotland role
A new bill lifting the ban on Catholics becoming the King's representative at the Church of Scotland's annual assembly has been introduced at the House of Eilish Angiolini KC has been given the post of lord high commissioner of the church's 2025 general the former lord advocate is a practicing Catholic and legally prohibited from holding the position under laws written in the 19th Church of Scotland (Lord High Commissioner) Act 2025 would revoke that legislation and "make provision for persons of the Roman Catholic faith" to hold the role. The general assembly has met almost every year since the protestant reformation of meets to make laws and set agendas for the lord high commissioner acts as the sovereign's representative at the event, and delivers the opening and closing role is usually held by a prominent member of Scottish society, including King Charles himself in a provision in the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 meant those of the Catholic faith were still barred from the act allowed Catholics in the United Kingdom to retain their faith while serving in parliament and higher it made an omission for the position of lord high commissioner. 'Goodwill and collaboration' The new Bill, proposed by Labour MP Pat McFadden, will remove that provision in time for Lady Angiolini to take up the job in cabinet office described her appointment as a "significant gesture of unity, goodwill and collaboration" between the Kirk and the Catholic Church in Angiolini, who was born in Glasgow's Govan to a family of Irish catholic descent, served as solicitor general under Jack McConnell between 2001 and was later lord advocate from 2007 until 2011, when she was succeeded by Lord described accepting the position as lord high commissioner as "a great honour" after being appointed to the role in December.
