Category Archives: Other

After more than 20 years, Sarawak labour law finally updated, aligning rights with peninsular Malaysia

KUCHING, May 2 — Employees in Sarawak finally have access to the benefits their counterparts in Peninsular Malaysia are enjoying as the amended Sarawak Labour Ordinance (SLO) came into effect yesterday. Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) Sarawak Division chairman Zaidi Nasar said Sarawakian workers had waited for such labour reforms for over 20 years. Among […]

From 30 days to three: AI to revolutionise industrial court records, says HR minister

GEORGE TOWN, March 14 — The Human Resources Ministry (Kesuma), through the Malaysian Industrial Court, will upgrade its digital recording system using artificial intelligence. Its minister, Steven Sim said the system could generate immediate transcripts during case proceedings to boost efficiency, reduce cost and coordinate understanding of communications of all stakeholders involved. “It aims to […]

STRENGTHENING WORKERS’ RIGHTS, ENHANCING PRODUCTIVITY

Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia is firmly on track to building a more progressive and equitable labour market. 2025 marks the implementation of two key initiatives – the new Minimum Wage Order (MWO) and the Progressive Wage Policy (PWP) – aimed at strengthening workers’ rights, boosting labour productivity and fostering a more inclusive and sustainable national economy. […]

Employers must observe extra Malaysia Day holiday, says HR minister

PUTRAJAYA, July 23 — Employers must comply with the declaration of Sept 15 as an additional public holiday in conjunction with this year’s Malaysia Day celebration, said Human Resources Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong. He said employers could observe the additional public holiday and pay the regular salary, or instruct their employees to work and […]

Concrete measures in place to address skills mismatch, Deputy HR Minister tells Parliament

KUALA LUMPUR: The government has adopted a comprehensive, multi-agency approach to address labour market imbalances, particularly skills mismatches which currently account for 35.7% of the national unemployment rate, says Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamad. The Deputy Human Resources Minister said the rate of skills-related underemployment had dropped from 37.3% in 2022 to 35.7% in the […]

HR Ministry mulls mechanism for post-retirement employment.

MELAKA: The Human Resources Ministry is studying the introduction of a dedicated mechanism to facilitate post-retirement employment, says minister Steven Sim. In doing so, the ministry recognised the need to balance opportunities for senior workers with the interests of the younger workforce, he added. Sim said his ministry is reviewing certain provisions within the Employment […]

HR Ministry: Review underway on raising Malaysia’s retirement age to 65 amid labour reforms

KLANG, May 23 — The Ministry of Human Resources (Kesuma) is currently reviewing the proposal to raise the mandatory retirement age from 60 to 65, said Minister Steven Sim. He said the matter was being examined by a special committee led by Kesuma’s deputy secretary-general (Policy and International) Dr Mohd Shaharin Umar as it involved […]

Malaysia’s strongest labour market since Covid: More jobs, fewer jobless, 70.6pc record participation rate

PUTRAJAYA, June 30 — Malaysia’s labour market gained momentum in 2024, recording its strongest post-pandemic performance yet, with key indicators showing improvement and stability expected to persist into 2025, the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) said today. According to DOSM’s Annual Statistics of the Labour Force, Malaysia 2024, the unemployment rate fell to 3.2 per […]

RM1,700 minimum wage extended to apprentices as law takes effect, says HR Ministry

PUTRAJAYA, Aug 1 — The National Wages Consultative Council (Amendment) Act 2025 came into effect today, extending the current minimum wage to apprenticeship contract workers.  In a statement, the Human Resources Ministry (Kesuma) said Minister Steven Sim had set Aug 1, 2025, as the commencement date for the amendments. “Under the amendment, the current minimum […]