PUTRAJAYA: The government will introduce a Mobile Labour Court by August to improve access to labour justice and reduce time and costs for workers and employers, says Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Ramanan Ramakrishnan.
He said the initiative would begin with three specially modified vehicles operating on the peninsula under the Peninsular Malaysia Labour Department, providing services to people in rural areas or with limited access to existing Labour Court facilities.
“A sum of RM5mil has been allocated as a start, and the rollout will be phased throughout the year. The period until August allows the department to finalise the operational plan and ensure information on the mobile court is widely disseminated,” he said after a visit to the department on Wednesday (Jan 7).
“This will make the process easier for everyone. Workers will know where the court will be located and how the services will be moved. Everything has been planned, but it takes time to implement effectively,” he added.
“The Mobile Labour Court will improve access to labour justice in a more inclusive and people-friendly manner, while saving time and costs for workers and employers, especially in rural and interior areas,” he said.
Ramanan said the government would also strengthen Labour Courts by installing digital recording systems.
An allocation of RM1.8mil has been approved for the system, which would be installed at six Labour Courts located at Labour Offices in Ipoh, Alor Setar, Muar, Rawang, Kuantan and Kuala Terengganu.
He said the digital recording system would speed up hearings, enhance transparency and ensure labour case records are managed more systematically and efficiently, in line with the national digitalisation agenda.
The ministry was also developing an Integrated Labour Management System to replace data-recording methods that are more than two decades old.
The RM9.26mil project, to be implemented over 36 months from November 2025 to November 2028, would incorporate artificial intelligence, big data analytics, cloud computing and an AI chatbot.
Ramanan said the system, which would be rolled out in stages from 2026 to 2028, was expected to improve operational efficiency and ease the doing of business for industry players.
Meanwhile, the minister said the Trade Union Affairs Department, the Industrial Relations Department, and the Peninsular Malaysia Labour Department would be merged to optimise future manpower needs, reduce bureaucracy, and enable more flexible staff deployment.
“We are here to facilitate, not frustrate. Every process involves costs, and this initiative cuts costs for everyone — workers and employers alike,” he said, adding that it would be unfair to raise wages while forcing workers to bear travel costs and income loss to attend court proceedings.
