Tabling of Sabah Labour Ordinance amendments pushed to next Parliament session

KUALA LUMPUR: The Sabah Labour Ordinance Amendment Bill will be presented in the next Dewan Rakyat session in 2024.

Deputy Human Resources Minister Datuk Mustapha Sakmud announced that the draft Bill has been completed and is currently under review by the Attorney General’s Chambers before it is presented to the Cabinet.

Originally scheduled for November, the amendment Bill has been postponed to ensure thorough scrutiny of all labor-related matters, Mustapha stated.

He added, “Given the significant changes involved in the amendment, sufficient time must be allocated to ensure its completeness and comprehensiveness for review and approval.”

In October 2022, the proposed amendments to standardize the Sabah Labour Ordinance with the Employment Act 1955 were approved by the state cabinet.

Mustapha mentioned that the amendments to the Ordinance, which has been in effect since 1950, will benefit 2.038 million workers and over 187,000 employers in Sabah.

He further explained that the proposed amendments, numbering 16 in total, cover various aspects such as sexual harassment, discrimination, forced labor, improved provisions for children and young persons, and maternity and paternity leave.

Mustapha, who is also Sepanggar MP, stated, “Since 1965, the Ordinance has only been amended once in 2005, in contrast to the Employment Act 1955 which has undergone 12 amendments.”

Therefore, aligning the provisions under the Sabah Labour Ordinance with those under the Employment Act is necessary to ensure that workers in Sabah receive the same level of protection as their counterparts in the Peninsula, Mustapha emphasized.

Additionally, the amendments will also include standardizing provisions in the Sabah Labour Ordinance with the Children and Young Persons (Employment) Act 1966 and Employees’ Minimum Standards of Housing, Accommodations, and Amenities Act 1990.