Mustapha (left) and Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Ariffin Arif before the start of the meeting on Monday.
KOTA KINABALU (Feb 6): Deputy Human Resource Minister Mustapha Sakmud said that a Sabah Labour Advisory Council (SLAC) would be set up in the state to look into the implementation of the amended Sabah Labour Ordinance (SLO).
He told reporters this after a meeting with the Sabah Economic Action Council (SEAC), SME Council, the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry as well as relevant departments and agencies here on Monday.
“In the meeting today we agreed to set up a Sabah Labour Advisory Council which will meet soon to discuss the implementation of the latest amendment to the Sabah Labour Ordinance.
“I wish to thank the State Government for its consideration to have further discussions on the amendment,” he said.
Mustapha expressed hope that employers and employees at the state and federal level will be able to coordinate the implementation of the SLO which sees several amendments including to the maternity leave from 60 days to 98 days.
“There will be more indepth discussion at the advisory council on the implementation,” he said adding that the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry is tasked to look after labour issues in Sabah.
The amendments to the SLO was tabled to the State Cabinet during a meeting in October last year and it was passed.
The purpose of the Proposed Amendment to the Labor Ordinance [Sabah Chapter 67] is to standardize the provisions of the labour law for Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak, increase and improve the protection and welfare of workers in the state of Sabah and ensure that the national labour law complies with the requirements of the Convention and other International Labour instruments.
This proposed amendment to the Labor Ordinance [Sabah Chapter 67] covers all private workers in the state of Sabah regardless of salary limit or type of job. All private sector workers who enter into a service contract are protected and benefited from the Labor Ordinance [Sabah Chapter 67].
Among the amendments proposed are to strengthen provisions related to the liability of salary payment (principal contractor, subcontractor or contractor for labour if the salary is not paid by the employer to the employee, then the liability of the contracting party).
The amended SLO also included a chapter on sexual harassment as well as the Children and Young People (Employment) Act 1966 into a specific chapter of SLO by including the interpretation of “light work”, “age of admission” and the list of “hazardous work”.
Others include protection during pregnancy (prohibition of terminating female employees during pregnancy), increase the maternity leave eligibility period from 60 days to 98 days (14 weeks) and seven-day paternity leave as well as increase penalties and punishments (fine increased from RM10,000 to RM50,000). Imprisonment increased from six months to two years. Repeated offenses carry a fine of RM100,000 or five years in prison or both).
The Minister of Human Resources is expected to present the Labor Ordinance Amendment Bill [Sabah Chapter 67] to the Parliament meeting in the middle of 2023.