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Daily Express
2 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Express
Equal legal protection of Sabah, Sarawak workers: Enforcement of amended Sabah labour law ends 20 years of injustice
Published on: Tuesday, June 10, 2025 Published on: Tue, Jun 10, 2025 Text Size: From left: Datuk Indra Ayub, Dr Kelvin Yii, Wan Zulkifli, Steven Sim, Mohd Shahbudin, Saidih Alih and Mohd Airy Arin. Kota Kinabalu: Minister of Human Resources Steven Sim Chee Keong said Sabah and Sarawak workers cannot enjoy lesser legal protection than their peninsula counterparts. 'All workers in Malaysia must be treated equally. With the enforcement of the ordinance amendments, we have ended two decades of injustice,' he said, during a working visit, recently. Advertisement Steven stressed the importance of direct engagement with workers and union leaders, a practice he aims to instil throughout the Ministry. 'Face-to-face engagement must become a continued practice for every Minister of Human Resources. I hope that even after I no longer hold this position, unions will continue to advocate for this tradition to be upheld. 'Such visits are crucial as they involve senior Ministry officials, allowing us to hear firsthand the challenges at the grassroots level. We should not wait for workers to come to us with complaints; we must go to them,' he said. The visit marked his first following the enforcement of amendments to the Sabah and Sarawak Labour Ordinance, which came into effect on May 1, 2025. The amendments to the Labour Ordinance provide direct benefits to workers, including a reduction of working hours by 3 hours to 45 hours per week, 98 days of maternity leave, seven days of paternity leave, and an expansion of the ordinance's coverage to all workers, regardless of salary, unlike the previous limit of RM2,500. He praised SHRREU for its courage and perseverance in fighting for the rights of hospitality and restaurant workers, a struggle that began in 2013. The union has since taken its case to the Federal Court to defend workers' rights regarding service charges and minimum wages. 'From just six members, SHRREU now boasts more than 400 members and its own office. This is proof that when workers unite, they can become strong and bold in demanding their rights,' he said. The Minister also encouraged unions to negotiate starting salaries above the minimum wage, highlighting the importance of written Collective Agreements (CAs) between employers and unions in safeguarding workers' rights. 'The minimum wage is set by the government for workers who do not have a CA. If there is a CA, the starting salary must be above the minimum wage. This is my message to all employers and union leaders,' he emphasized. Steven congratulated SHRREU's Secretary-General, Mohd Shahbuddin Abdullah, on his appointment as a permanent member of the Sabah Labour Advisory Council (SLAC), established on May 13, 2025, after years of advocacy - strengthening the voice of Sabah's workers at the national policy level. 'We not only want laws to be consistent across the country but also to ensure that worker representatives and unions sit together at the table for national labour policy negotiations,' he added. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * 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
The Star
7 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Unemployed Sabahans can soon seek jobs at one-stop centre set up by HR Ministry
KOTA KINABALU: Job seekers in Sabah will soon no longer need to shuttle between multiple offices, thanks to the setting up of a One-Stop Labour Service Centre to streamline employment services under one roof. The centre, which will be set up by the Human Resources Ministry in the coming months, will bring together various labour-related departments and agencies, including the Labour Department, Industrial Relations Department, Trade Unions Affairs Department, and Social Security Organisation (Socso), allowing workers to access all necessary services in a single location. 'We will set up a One-Stop Labour Service Centre in Sabah. This means all employment matters, can be addressed in one place without workers having to go back and forth between different offices,' Human Resources Minister Steven Sim said in a statement following a recent working visit to the Sabah Medical Services Union (SMSU). Apart from Sabah, three other pilot centres are also planned for Penang, the Klang Valley and Johor Baru, he said. Sim said the initiative's expansion to Sabah marks a significant step towards nationwide implementation. He added that the visit to SMSU was part of the ministry's ongoing efforts to engage with workers directly and strengthen worker protections and welfare across the country. He also expressed his appreciation to SMSU for more than six decades of service in championing the welfare of healthcare workers in Sabah, describing its members as 'frontline heroes' for their sacrifices during the Covid-19 pandemic. Among the ministry's recent key achievements, Sim noted the long-awaited approval of amendments to the Sabah and Sarawak Labour Ordinances, delayed for over two decades, which were passed by Parliament last year. 'These amendments align workers' rights and protections across Malaysia, ensuring no one is left behind, especially workers in Sabah and Sarawak,' he said. He credited the success of these legislative reforms to collaborative efforts involving the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC), labour unions, state governments and ministry officers, including Sabah Labour director Wan Zulkifli Wan Setapa, who continuously championed the cause. The amended Labour Ordinance (Sabah) 2025 and Labour Ordinance (Sarawak) 2025 came into effect on May 1, 2025, excluding Part IVA which covers minimum standards for workers' housing and amenities. On another note, Sim welcomed the recent establishment of the Sabah Labour Advisory Council on May 13, 2025, and congratulated SMSU president Ajulahin Japin and executive secretary Laurence Vun on their appointments as council members. Ajulahin has also been appointed as a permanent member of the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) as of May 1 this year. The NLAC serves as a tripartite platform involving employers, workers, and the government to discuss policies, legislation and labour practices. 'This platform allows the Human Resources Minister to receive input, advice and consensus on matters concerning labour and human capital development in the country,' he said.
Borneo Post
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Both state, federal civil servants in Sarawak to have additional public holiday on June 4
Photo for illustration purposes only. KUCHING (May 27): Both state and federal civil servants in Sarawak will have an additional public holiday on June 4. A notice from State Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki dated yesterday stated that the additional holiday is to replace overlapping public holidays on June 2. 'The Sarawak government has agreed to declare June 4, 2025 (Wednesday) as a public holiday for the Sarawak civil service, including Sarawak statutory bodies and Sarawak local authorities, in view of the overlapping celebration of Gawai Dayak and the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong's Birthday,' he said in the notice. A similar notice was issued by Sarawak Federal Secretary Datuk Ahmad Nadzri Mohd Hassan today for federal civil servants. 'In accordance with the letter declaring an additional public holiday declaration from the Sarawak State Secretary dated May 26, 2025 in relation to the above matter, it is hereby notified that June 4, 2025 (Wednesday) is also an additional public holiday for the federal civil service, including federal statutory bodies, in Sarawak,' said Ahmad Nadzri. June 3 is also a public holiday to replace the first day of Gawai Dayak on June 1, as it is a Sunday. On May 10, the Labour Department had said employees observing Gawai Dayak will be entitled to a replacement holiday on June 3 since June 2, which is the second day of Gawai, overlaps with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's Birthday. It explained that according to the Labour Ordinance (Sarawak Chapter 76), the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's Birthday is a day off that must be given to employees and cannot be replaced with another day, while Gawai is an optional day off that is set based on the religion and culture of the employee. 'For employees under the Ordinance who are given Gawai holidays, June 3, 2025 should be used as the replacement day off. However, this replacement date may be changed to another day by mutual agreement between the employer and employee, in accordance with Section 104(2) of the same Ordinance,' the statement read. It added that Section 104(1) of the Ordinance also provides that if any holiday falls on an employee's rest day, then the next working day shall be made a substitute holiday. 'For example, if June 1, 2025 is an employee's rest day, then June 3, 2025 should be made a public holiday, while June 4, 2025 will be the second public holiday,' it added.
