Sim denies Sabah employers were left out of labour law talks

 

Human resources minister Steven Sim said 14 sessions of discussions on the amendment bill were held. (Bernama pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: 

Human resources minister Steven Sim has denied claims that Sabah employers were not part of talks on amendments to the Sabah Labour Ordinance, which were passed in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Sim said many stakeholders were roped in to give their views on the amendments to the law, which governs those earning RM2,500 and below in Sabah.

“I can list 14 such sessions here, not just between the federal and Sabah governments, but also representatives of both employees and employers. It was even brought up at the special council on Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63),” he said when winding up the debate on the amendment bill.

During the debate, Wilfred Madius Tangau (PH-Tuaran) claimed the bill was rushed and that the Sabah Employers Association was not allowed to take part in consultations.

He said the introduction of the Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act, originally applied to West Malaysia, was being extended to Sabah and this was only brought up at a briefing earlier today.

Tangau also said the Sabah labour department should be headed by a “Sabahan or a Sabahan-spirited person”, and that this should be made a legal requirement.

In response, Sim said the department’s present director Wan Zulkfli Wan Setapa was Sabahan-spirited and a more-than-capable bureaucrat, having served in various roles for 32 years, and four years so far as Sabah labour department director.

“He has shown commitment to Sabah and embodies the Sabahan spirit,” he said. - FMT