Unions: Hurry up with labour amendments in Sabah, Sarawak

Kota Kinabalu: The Labour Law Reform Coalition (LLRC) and Sabah MTUC (Malaysian Trades Union Congress) has called on the federal and state governments to amend the Sabah and Sarawak labour ordinances to be on par with the amendments under the Employment Act enjoyed by workers in Peninsular Malaysia since Jan 1, 2023.

LLRC chairman Mohd Jafar Abdul Majid said yesterday that elected representatives should take immediate action to update the ordinances as they should not be delayed for too long.

On the same day, a deputy minister said in Kuching that the draft amendments to the Sarawak Labour Ordinance have been finalised and submitted to the Human Resources Ministry for further action and to be referred to the Attorney General’s Chambers.

Datuk Gerawat Gala, who is Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department (Labour, Immigration and Project Monitoring), said the draft amendments are in line with the International Labour Convention and the latest amendments to the Employment Act for the benefit of both employers and employees.

“Among the proposed amendments is paternity leave of seven days for male workers so that they can celebrate the birth of a child, look after the wife who has just given birth, and handle matters such as child registration.

“Maternity leave is increased from 60 days to 98 days. This proposal is in line with Maternity Protection Convention 2000 No.183, which provides that... maternity leave should not be less than 14 weeks,” he said.

Gerawat said the amendments also include a reduction in weekly working hours from 48 hours to 45 hours to increase productivity and preserve the welfare of workers and their families.Mohd Jafar said that both Sabah and Sarawak workers should have enjoyed 45 work benefits and earned higher overtime if the Employment Act and Sabah and Sarawak labour ordinances had been implemented together with the peninsula from Jan 1 last year.

“Workers in both states have lost their benefits,” he said.

LLRC and Sabah MTUC met on the Sabah and Sarawak Labour Ordinance and Trade Union Act amendments in Kota Kinabalu earlier this week to discuss issues on the delays of amendments to the federalised state labour laws that Parliament needs to approve.

Sabah MTUC secretary Engrit Liaw called the current situation a “violation of the rights of workers in Sabah”.

The amendments to the Sabah Labour Ordinance were scheduled to be tabled in Parliament in November last year but postponed to March this year. However, the Bill was not tabled.

Former deputy human resources minister Datuk Mustapha Sakmud said the Bill was postponed as it was being reviewed by the Attorney General.

The labour unions said Sabah has been waiting for the amendments that give workers the same progressive labour rights as their counterparts in the peninsula.

They said the amendments would benefit 2.038 million workers and over 187,000 employers in the state.

The 16 proposed amendments include those on sexual harassment, prohibition of discrimination and forced labour, improving provisions on children and young persons, maternity and paternity leave.