Deputy Human Resource Minister Mustapha Sakmud hopes to have the amendment to the Sabah Labour Ordinance (SLO) completed before the end of the year.

Speaking to reporters after officiating the 8th Borneo Conference and Exhibition on Occupational Safety and Health (BOSH 2023) here on Tuesday, Mustapha said the amended SLO is now being reviewed by the Attorney General.

“We will try to have it implemented in Sabah by the end of the year,” he said when asked why the amendment to the SLO was taking a long time to be completed.

According to the deputy minister, the federal Employment Act 1955 was amended and implemented in Peninsular Malaysia on January 1 this year.

“For the SLO to be amended, the state government, employers, workers’ union and NGOs must be involved and consulted to ensure that what is being reviewed will be suitable for Sabah.

“This part of the process is done … The state government has agreed and the state cabinet has made its decision. We have brought the matter to the Attorney General for a review and this is what takes time,” he disclosed.

Mustapha agreed that it is time for the SLO to be amended as the last time it was done was in 2005 adding, “that was a long time ago. This amendment will put SLO in accordance with the international labour standard that is practiced by many countries globally.”

Among the amendments in the SLO is for maternity leave to be increased to 98 days and paternity leave increased from three to seven days.

Local civil society groups are calling on the federal and state governments to amend the SLO immediately to give proper and more comprehensive protection to workers in the state.

Sabah Human Rights Centre, Society for Equality, Respect and Trust for All Sabah (Serata), Undi Sabah and Borneo Komrad said there had been talk of amending the SLO for years with no concrete steps taken so far.

“It is unclear why the amendments to the SLO are taking such a long time for it to be on par with the Employment Act,” the groups said in a joint statement on Tuesday.

They also called for regulations to ensure employers probe complaints of workplace sexual harassment and more protection against unfair dismissal of expectant mothers.

They are also seeking the abolition of a wage threshold under the SLO to ensure that all employees and apprentices are covered regardless of their salary scale.

The groups also want the scope of complaints to cover all forms of employment-related discrimination, including against resident status, as well as a new section in the SLO to address forced labour.

A total of 350 participants from Sabah, Sarawak, the Philippines, Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam are attending the BOSH 2023.

In his speech earlier, Mustapha said the two-day conference will help to unlock the immense potential of Sabah and Sarawak as the two states are strategically located within the Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-Eaga), which is a dynamic and growing economic region.

By bringing together stakeholders from all over BIMP-Eaga, the conference will provide a platform for sharing ideas and best practices, as well as build partnerships that will help boost economic growth and development in Sabah and Sarawak, he said.

“The theme ‘Transforming Borneo for a resilient tomorrow’ aligns with Sabah Maju Jaya and our shared commitment to worker safety,” he said, adding that the conference brings stakeholders from various sectors to discuss the latest trends, best practices and innovative solutions in occupational safety and health.

Mustapha said that it is the government’s hope that critical issues such as the mental health support system at the workplace as well as challenges brought about future technologies be discussed by the participants of the conference.

“The results of the discussions and forums during this conference will help the government in drafting new policies or improving existing policies for the benefit of the employers and employees,” he said.

Mustapha also called on NIOSH to move forward and work together with the agencies and companies to provide comprehensive training and consultation services on occupational health and safety to employers and employees in the BIMP-Eaga region.

“I hope NIOSH can also consider organising future BOSH in other districts in Sabah,” he said.

Mustapha also urged companies and GLCs in Sabah to participate in the national OSH Award competition.

“We want then to participate so that we can gauge the level of OSH practice of companies in Sabah,” he said.

Source:
courtesy of THE BORNEO POST

by NANCY LAI

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