Kota Kinabalu: Now that amendments to the Sabah Labour Ordinance were officially gazetted on May 1, marking a historic milestone in the protection of workers’ rights in the State, the Human Resources Ministry has embarked on a comprehensive review of 28 labour-related laws under the Ministry.
This includes the Sabah and Sarawak Labour Ordinances and the Employment Act, to ensure they are updated and relevant to today’s labour landscape.
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“Many of these laws date back to the pre-independence era. We are now reviewing whether they need to be revised, updated or replaced with more appropriate provisions,” its Minister Steven Sim said.
He said specific provisions in the Sabah and Sarawak ordinances, particularly those requiring consultations with the state governments, would continue to be upheld.
“Sabah and Sarawak’s labour laws contain mechanisms for State-level consultations which are not found in the Employment Act. We must take these unique legal features into account during the review process,” he said.
Beyond legislative reform, Sim highlighted several key initiatives implemented by his ministry to empower workers in Sabah, including the launch of the first Kesuma One-Stop Service Centre in Malaysia, which brings together nine departments and five agencies under one roof.
“This centre will ease interactions between employers, employees and Kesuma. Sabah is leading the way in this effort and we hope it will help accelerate labour-related services,” he said.
Sim also announced that the Gig Workers Bill will be tabled in Parliament this month, another landmark move by the Government to extend protections to gig economy workers.
“This Bill is historic as it will, for the first time, provide legal protection for gig workers. We are committed to ensuring they are not left out of the national social safety net.”
