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KUCHING, Sept 1: The Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government has been called upon to cease blocking and delaying the implementation of a new labor law that would grant improved rights to Sarawak’s employees.
Chong Chieng Jen, the chairman of the Sarawak Democratic Action Party (DAP), issued a statement today in which he highlighted that, in West Malaysia, the 2022 Amendment to the Employment Act 1955 had resulted in enhanced protection and benefits for employees under the law.
However, Chong expressed regret over the GPS government’s refusal to adopt this new labor law in Sarawak, which would have offered improved rights and benefits to employees in the state.
“Sarawak has autonomy in labor matters, and as such, the Employment Act 1955 does not apply to Sarawak. The law governing employee rights in Sarawak is the Sarawak Labour Ordinance,” he explained.
Chong pointed out that while employees in West Malaysia had benefited from the 2022 amendment to the Employment Act, those in Sarawak were denied similar rights because the GPS government was unwilling to agree to amend the Sarawak Labour Ordinance.
The key issue arising from this situation is that the current Sarawak Labour Ordinance only covers employees earning monthly wages of RM2,500 or less (with exceptions for manual laborers and commercial vehicle drivers).
In contrast, the new Employment Act applies to employees in West Malaysia earning a monthly wage of RM4,000 or less.
In practical terms, this means that an employee in Sarawak earning a monthly salary of more than RM2,500 (excluding manual laborers and commercial vehicle drivers) is not entitled to overtime pay or other benefits provided under the Sarawak Labour Ordinance.
Meanwhile, an employee in West Malaysia would only lose these benefits if their monthly salary exceeded RM4,000.
Chong claimed that by rejecting the proposed amendments to the Sarawak Labour Ordinance, the GPS government was depriving tens of thousands of Sarawakians in the income bracket of RM2,501 to RM4,000 of the benefits and welfare stipulated in the ordinance.
He pointed out that young graduates and professionals in particular would be negatively impacted, as their salaries typically fell slightly above the RM2,500 threshold, leaving them to work overtime without additional pay.
Among the benefits were the new 45-hour workweek, a 98-day maternity leave, 7 days of paid paternity leave, flexible working arrangements, and restrictions on the termination of pregnant female employees, Chong claimed. — DayakDaily
