Human Resources Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong has welcomed the Shah Alam High Court’s decision to uphold an earlier ruling by the Labour Court, ordering an employer to pay outstanding wages to 93 migrant workers who were left without work upon arrival in Malaysia.
The High Court on 31 October 2025 affirmed the Labour Court’s decision dated 8 November 2024, which directed the employer to settle unpaid wages owed to the affected workers.
Sim said the ruling reaffirmed the Ministry of Human Resources long-standing position that all employers who recruit migrant workers must pay them from the moment they arrive in Malaysia — regardless of whether work assignments have begun.
“This decision indirectly validates KESUMA’s stance that employers are obligated to pay wages as soon as migrant workers arrive in the country, even if they have yet to be assigned any tasks,” the minister said in a statement today.
He recalled that when he first took office in January 2024, he had made it clear that foreign workers are entitled to wages from day one, stressing that employers cannot cite the lack of available work as an excuse for non-payment.
“The principle is simple: if there is no work, don’t bring in workers. But if workers have already been brought in, employers must pay them,” he said.
Sim added that the High Court’s ruling also confirmed key findings of the Labour Court, including that the government had never approved the recruitment of foreign workers as “standby labour” to be called in only when needed — a misconception he said must be corrected.
He further noted that all 93 affected migrant workers have since been successfully placed with new employers under the Special Employer Exchange Initiative managed by the Department of Labour Peninsular Malaysia (JTKSM).
The minister stressed that the judgment should serve as a clear reminder to all employers of their obligations under Malaysian labour laws.
“Failure to pay workers’ wages is a serious violation of labour law. KESUMA will not compromise with any party that denies workers’ basic rights,” he said.
Editor. (2025, November 2). Court orders employer to pay 93 migrant workers outstanding wages. Business Today. https://www.businesstoday.com.my/2025/11/02/court-orders-employer-to-pay-93-migrant-workers-outstanding-wages/
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