KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching is confident that the Gig Workers Bill 2025, which features a clear dispute resolution mechanism, can protect the welfare of approximately 30,000 to 40,000 gig workers in the creative industry.
She said the Communications Ministry also believes the bill was crucial for artistes, who have long faced uncertainties such as delayed payments, lack of social protection and safety issues, including while working on film sets.
Teo said the establishment of a Tripartite Consultative Council under the bill would enable gig workers to negotiate matters such as wages, minimum pay rates, and other terms to be included in contracts.
"I believe it is very important for artistes to also understand the new provisions and assistance actually offered by the Gig Workers Bill 2025.
"I also hope and believe this bill will gain support when it is tabled in the Dewan Negara tomorrow," she said at a press conference after attending a special briefing on the bill conducted by Human Resources Minister Steven Sim at the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas) here Monday (Sept 8).
Also present were Finas chairman Datuk Hans Isaac, Finas chief executive officer Datuk Azmir Saifuddin Mutalib and Malaysian Professional Film Workers Association (Profima) president Khalil Saleh.
Earlier in her speech, Teo stated that the Communications Ministry fully supported the bill, while also ensuring that members of the creative industry received accurate information to understand how the law protects them.
"This bill also complements the efforts already undertaken by Finas together with the Social Security Organisation to provide a social safety net for artistes and production crews. With this legal framework, those efforts are now stronger and more comprehensive.
"The bill brings several major changes, including protecting the rights of gig workers, obligations of contracting entities, regulating terms and conditions of service agreements, establishing a gig workers tribunal, and safeguarding the safety and health of gig workers," she said.
The Gig Workers Bill 2025 was passed by the Dewan Rakyat on Aug 28. – Bernama
