KOTA KINABALU: The welfare of employees in Sabah can be protected by expediting amendments to the Sabah Labour Ordinance (SLO), according to Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) Sabah secretary, Engrit Liaw. Liaw stressed the importance of these amendments to ensure that employees in Sabah can enjoy the same benefits as their counterparts in Peninsular Malaysia. Furthermore, she supports the call made by state Deputy Human Resources Minister, Mustapha Sakmud, last month to amend Chapter 67 of the SLO. In a statement on Sunday (July 9), she urged the state government to bring this matter to the next state assembly sitting in August and pass the amendments.
Liaw emphasized that the amendments to the Ordinance would allow Sabah employees to benefit from the recent changes made in Peninsular Malaysia as of January 1st of this year. She highlighted that the last time the Ordinance was changed was in 2005, 18 years ago, and it is essential for the regulations to be updated to align with the current working environment in Sabah. This includes establishing a proper work-family balance and introducing greater flexibility in working arrangements for all workers. Liaw also advocated for the establishment of a Sabah Labour Advisory Council (SLAC) to better protect workers’ rights.
This call for amendments to the SLO is not new, as there have been growing demands in recent months to align the regulations with federal law. Particularly, to implement a mandatory seven-day paternity leave for fathers with newborns, a provision that exists in federal law. This request gained even more urgency after a heart-wrenching incident involving a man who lost his wife shortly after childbirth. The absence of paternity leave prevented him from taking care of his wife during this crucial period, resulting in her tragic demise. The grief-stricken father took to social media to express his grievances.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
