The Human Resources Ministry is seeking to amend three acts, which it deems outdated, at the next Parliament sitting in March.
The amendments will to the Employment Act 1955, Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act 1990 and the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994.
Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran said the amendments would will also be streamlined with the Labour Ordinance of Sabah and Sarawak.
“We want to have a communication policy for employment and code of conduct for industrial harmony through the amendments of this acts. Many labour laws are terribly outdated with the changing employment situation around the world. We need to be abreast with the situation,” he told reporters after chairing the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) meeting.
Kulasegaran said there was an urgent need to look at the acts “not just for the sake of employers and employees, but foreign investors as well”.
“I will need to present to the cabinet on these three acts for approval before tabling it in Parliament in March,” he added.
In December, the Human Resources Ministry established 11 technical committees to discuss matters related to various labour issues and laws.
On the NLAC meeting, Kulasegaran said there was a consensus that all final drafts relating to the amendments of the three acts will be forwarded to all stakeholders for their response before taking it up to the next stage.
He said NLAC also decided to form a technical committee to study a proposal on deducting 20 per cent of foreign workers’ basic salaries to be set aside as a savings scheme.
“We are studying if foreign workers can contribute a certain percentage of their salary to be saved under Socso and withdraw it when they finish their employment in Malaysia with the interest and dividends.
“We have to determine the best practice to help foreign workers in terms of financial security and look into updating domestic legislation to be in line with international treaties on labour standards,” he said.
Kulasegeran also said the ministry was also proposing a Domestic Workers Act.
“This request was made by many foreign ambassadors who had met me recently and it is according to the International Labour Organisation Convention.”
NST
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