Press Statement by Labour Law Reform Coalition on 22 March 2022 in Shah Alam
Labour Law Reform Coalition (LLRC) calls on the Minister of Human Resourcs to immediately issue the ministerial order to remove the wage ceiling of RM2,000 in accordance with the power confer by section 2(2) of the Employment Act.
As Dewan Rakyat passed the Employment Bill 2021 yesterday, the existing section 44A that ensures maternity protection for all women workers regardless of wage level had been deleted. Section 81G that ensures workers’ right to lodge complaints on sexual harassment regardless of wage level had been deleted. Section 69B that extends the protection to wage earners below RM5,000 had also been removed.
If the bill goes through Dewan Negara and is being gazette before the amendment of the first schedule through the ministerial order, women workers with wages higher than RM2,000 will be excluded from maternity protection and protection from sexual harassment in the transitional period.
The rights of workers whose wages are between RM2,000 and RM5,000 to seek justice and redress will be denied.
The Ministry of Human Resources promised to amend the first schedule through a ministerial order during a meeting with LLRC. The Deputy Minister of Human Resources repeated the promise in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
We urge the Ministry to act swiftly to address the foreseeable lapse in policy implementation, which is a serious consequence that we should try to avoid.
N. Gopal Kishnam & Irene Xavier
Co-Chairpersons
Labour Law Reform Coalition