Latest news with #SabahLabourDepartment
The Star
19-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Sabah govt, industry players still working out 'best way forward' for worker housing law
KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah government will complete its consultations with stakeholders before implementing the federal law on minimum standards for worker housing, says a senior state civil servant. The Federal Government has completed the legislative process on the matter but the state is still working out the best way forward, state Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry permanent secretary Datuk Mohd Hanafiah Mohd Kassim said. ALSO READ: New amendments to Sabah and Sarawak labour ordinances take effect from May 1 'The law has not been enforced in Sabah yet. We are still at the consultation stage, and more discussions with industry players are needed to assess readiness. 'Many employers are concerned about the cost implications. "They need time to plan their budgets, and we believe this can be resolved through continuous engagement," he said on Monday (May 19) when asked if the law has come into force in the state. He added that the ministry is working closely with the Sabah Labour Department on the matter. Hanafiah said industry players informally raised the matter during several recent meetings, and the state government advised them to submit their views in writing. "Businesses in Peninsular Malaysia were given a grace period before implementation. "Sabah needs the same kind of consideration," he said, adding that workshops and briefings would be held to ensure employers are adequately prepared. Several stakeholders have urged the state government to hold off from including worker housing requirements into amendments to the Sabah Labour Ordinance (SLO). ALSO READ: Hajiji: Good labour laws key to Sabah's economic growth Hanafiah acknowledged industry concerns and said the state remains committed to finding a balanced solution. 'We understand the business community's position. We aim to ensure any new regulations are implemented practically and fairly, without neglecting worker welfare,' he said at the launch of the Labour Legislation Transformation Programme 2025, here. Also present was Trade Union Affairs Department director-general Mohd Asri Abdul Wahab. Sabah Employers Association (SEA) president Yap Cheen Boon had said earlier that introducing the new requirements without proper consultation would add more strain to struggling businesses. 'We are urging the Sabah government to pause the amendments and reclaim decision-making authority over the SLO. "Any changes must reflect Sabah's unique business landscape,' Yap told a joint press conference last year. ALSO READ: Minimum wage: Caught between surviving and truly living The conference was called by the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (Sabah), Federation of Sabah Industries, Sabah Entrepreneurs Transformation, Kota Kinabalu Hardware, Machinery and Building Materials Traders Association, and Sabah Timber Industry Association, among others. Yap also highlighted Sabah's fragile post-pandemic economic recovery, pointing out that while the state recorded 3.7% growth in 2022, its gross domestic product was still lower than in 2019. He added that employers are already facing multiple new obligations, including safety regulations and wage-related reforms, and the added pressure from new housing requirements could worsen the situation. When confirming that the Sabah Labour Ordinance (Amendment) Act 2025 and the Sarawak Labour Ordinance (Amendment) Act 2025 would come into force on May 1, Human Resources Minister Steven Sim said the exception was Section IVA, which specifically addresses the minimum standards for workers' housing, accommodation and facilities.
New Straits Times
14-05-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
600,000 undocumented migrants working in Sabah
KOTA KINABALU: There are an estimated 600,000 undocumented migrant workers in Sabah, the majority of whom are believed to be employed in the plantation sector. Sabah Federal Secretary Datuk Seri Rosli Isa, however, said that the figure is only an estimate, as the actual number remains uncertain. Earlier in his speech, Rosli said that the Sabah Labour Department (JTK) will use the Integrated Non-Resident Employment Management System (eNORES) to record unregistered workers. The eNORES is a comprehensive system designed to manage all aspects of non-resident worker employment from recruitment to employment, and eventually repatriation. "This system is expected to benefit 187,000 employers and 2.1 million workers, not including undocumented or illegal immigrants," said Rosli during the Sabah Tripartite Labour Convention: Sabah Labour Ordinance (Amendment) 2025, in conjunction with the Labour Education Roadshow Series 1/2025, here, today. The roadshow, which comprises eight key programmes, will run for seven days, starting in Kota Kinabalu and continuing to Sandakan, Lahad Datu, Tawau, Keningau, before concluding in Tenom on May 21. During the event, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed to enable access to the eNORES system by seven regulatory agencies. These include the Sabah Chief Minister's Department's Office of Home Affairs and Research; Sabah Human Resource Development Department; Sabah Department of Industrial Development and Research (DIDR); Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA); Immigration Department of Malaysia; Sabah Agriculture Department; and the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB). "The purpose of this MoU is to allow these agencies to access data relevant to their respective departments, thereby facilitating policy-making and planning," said Rosli, noting that the ceremony was witnessed by the Director-General of the National Digital Department Datuk Dr Fazidah Abu Bakar. Rosli also announced that JTK Sabah has secured agreement for data-sharing via system integration with Perkeso's MyFutureJobs and ASSIST; the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM)'s MySSM; the Ministry of Home Affairs (KDN)'s NIISe; and the National Registration Department (JPN). Other components of the programme include the Labour Convention, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, and a dialogue session with 200 workers of Sabah Softwood Sdn Bhd plantation, focusing on the latest labour policies and legal updates in the state. Rosli added that an Anti-Trafficking and Forced Labour Awareness Outreach Programme will also be held in Kampung Kijang, Merotai Besar, Tawau, in collaboration with 350 local community leaders and villagers. "The government takes the issues of human trafficking and forced labour, such as job scams, very seriously. "Many victims of such scams are jobseekers living in remote areas with limited access to information," he said. "During this outreach, JTK Sabah, together with the police (PDRM) and the Sabah Immigration Department, will provide briefings and explanations on trafficking and forced labour issues to the villagers." A joint enforcement operation will be carried out in Keningau and Tenom as the final leg of the Labour Education Roadshow Series 1/2025. "A diplomatic and development-based approach is our main strategy, but punitive action will also be taken against any employer who refuses to comply with the law. This is to ensure the rights and welfare of workers are always protected," he stressed.
Borneo Post
14-05-2025
- Business
- Borneo Post
Sabah targets undocumented workers with new labour system
Wan Zulkfli (second from left) and Rosli (second from right) giving their thumbs up at the event. KOTA KINABALU (May 14): The Sabah Labour Department (JTK Sabah) is developing a comprehensive system to manage the employment of non-resident workers — covering recruitment, employment and repatriation — through 12 key modules. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for access to the Integrated Management System for the Employment of Non-Resident Workers (eNORES) was signed on Wednesday with seven regulatory agencies directly involved in managing non-resident workers in Sabah. These agencies are State and Research Affairs Office, Chief Minister's Department; Sabah Human Resource Development Department; Industrial Development and Research Department (DIDR) Sabah; Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA); Malaysia Immigration Department; Sabah Agriculture Department; Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB). 'The purpose of this MoU is to enable regulatory agencies to access relevant data, supporting policy development and implementation,' said Sabah Federal Secretary Dato' Seri Rosli Isa when officiating the launch of eNORES. The system is expected to benefit 187,000 employers and 2.1 million workers, excluding undocumented immigrants. Rosli disclosed that 2.1 million workers were registered in Sabah during the fourth quarter of last year. This figure includes both local workers and those holding a Social Visit Pass for employment purposes. He also estimated that around 600,000 undocumented migrant workers are currently in Sabah. 'This number is only an estimate, as the actual figure remains unknown,' he said, adding that most of these undocumented workers are employed in the plantation sector. Rosli also launched the Tripartite Convention on Sabah Labour: 2025 Sabah Labour Ordinance Act (Amendment), held in conjunction with the Labour Education Adventure Series 1/2025 (East Coast: Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Lahad Datu and Tawau) at the Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort. He added that JTK Sabah along with employers, has been tasked with a thorough worker registration process to ensure no undocumented migrants are employed in the state. Meanwhile, JTK Sabah director Wan Zulkfli Wan Setapa shared that the Sabah Labour Ordinance, first enforced in 1950, has only undergone two amendments since. Effective May 1, 2025, all workers in Sabah — regardless of salary or type of employment — are now covered under the Ordinance. Female workers are now entitled to 98 days of maternity leave, aligning Sabah's policy with Peninsular Malaysia's provisions that came into effect in January 2023. Fathers are now entitled to seven days of paternity leave, a provision previously unavailable. Additionally, to promote better work-life balance, amendments have reduced weekly working hours from 48 to 45 hours.
