KUCHING, March 20: The Sarawak Labour Ordinance (SLO) is a Federal law which only applies in Sarawak but any amendments would require approval by Parliament and not the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN).
In pointing this out, Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department (Labour, Immigration and Project Monitoring) Datuk Gerawat Gala claimed that it was “unfair and mischievous” for Sarawak Bank Employees Union CEO Andrew Lo to allege that the Sarawak government is not making any effort to get the SLO amended.
“The State government together with all relevant stakeholders have made serious and consistent efforts to get the SLO amended but the Ministry of Human Resource in Putrajaya and Parliament have the final decision.
“We hope the SLO amendment will be tabled in Parliament together with similar amendments to the Sabah Labour Ordinance in the next Parliamentary sitting,” said Gerawat in a press statement.
This is in response to Lo’s statement that bank employees in Sarawak are planning to protest on Labour Day over the delay by the Sarawak government in amending the SLO.
Lo said bank workers are upset because the Sarawak government had yet to agree to amend the SLO by claiming that it required prior consultation on future changes.
Gerawat said it is both misleading and mischievous to discredit the serious effort made by the Sarawak government to get the amendments done.
In 2022 until early 2023, Gerawat who is Mulu assemblyman, said a series of engagement sessions with all stakeholders were held involving various employee and employer organisations, government ministries and agencies at both State and Federal level to get their respective input as part of the process to finalise the details of the amendments.
“As the SLO is only applicable to Sarawak and consistent with Sarawak’s right over entry of non resident workers as provided in Article 161E(4) of the Federal Constitution and Section 65 of the Immigration Act, we had requested for a provision requiring the State’s concurrence for any future amendment to the SLO. This prompted a series of discussions and engagements with the Human Resource Ministry as the provision was not agreeable to the Ministry.
“We have recently submitted to the Ministry an alternative provision requiring prior consultation with the relevant State Authority for any future amendments to the SLO. Such provision is in line with the spirit of MA63 (the Malaysia Agreement 1963) and intended to protect the interest of workers and industry in Sarawak considering the different situation and conditions peculiar to Sarawak as compared to Peninsular Malaysia.
“It is now for the Ministry for Human Resource and Federal Attorney General to prepare the draft amendment bill for the SLO amendment to be tabled in Parliament,” said Gerawat.
He said Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) and their member unions have been appraised and informed about the progress of SLO amendment during their engagements with his Ministry and also with Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg. — DayakDaily
