KOTA KINABALU, Aug 4 — The Human Resources Ministry (MOHR) has begun reviewing 28 labour laws under its jurisdiction to update outdated provisions and align them with current best practices, minister Steven Sim said.
He said the review involves key legislation, including the Employment Act 1955, the Sabah Labour Ordinance and the Sarawak Labour Ordinance, some of which have been in place since before independence.
“We must understand that the labour and human resources sector is one of the oldest and most historical in our governance. Some of our labour laws date back decades. The Employment Act is from 1955, the Sabah Labour Ordinance from the 1960s, and the Sarawak Labour Ordinance from the 1950s, so all these need to be revisited and reviewed,” he said.
Sim was speaking to reporters after the Sabah Trade Union Day gathering, officiated by Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
Also present were the Cuepacs president Datuk Adnan Mat and Trade Union Affairs Department director-general Mohd Asri Abdul Wahab.
Sim gave an example of a provision that had already been amended — the clause under the Sabah Labour Ordinance that prohibits women from working night shifts, which was repealed last year.
“We may not be able to complete the review within this year, but we will try our best to ensure our labour laws are up to date and aligned with current best practices,” he said.
When asked if the government planned to abolish the Sabah and Sarawak Labour Ordinances and merge them under the Employment Act, Sim said there were no such plans for now, as those ordinances contain provisions specific to each state.
“The intention is to harmonise and align the rights of all workers. However, the Sabah and Sarawak Labour Ordinances include provisions and consultation processes with the state governments that are not found in the Employment Act,” he explained.
Sim also said that apart from this labour law review initiative, the MOHR will table the landmark Gig Workers Bill in Parliament this month, aimed at extending legal protections to gig workers.
