KOTA KINABALU, July 28 ― Employers in Sabah are urged to register with the Sabah Labour Department (JTK) or they risk facing legal consequences, says Sabah Federal Secretary Datuk Makzhan Mahyuddin.
He said this according to Section 59A of the Sabah Labour Ordinance, which states that business premises are required to register with the department within 90 days since their day of operation, and failure to do so can cost them up to RM10,000 in fines, upon conviction.
Under Section 59A, any person or employer is required to give a written notification to any nearby JTK office regarding employment-related information, and failure to do so is an offence under Section 130E(f) of the Labour Ordinance (Sabah Chapter 67).
Employers, whether new or seasoned, are required to register so that the Sabah Labour Department has a record of their businesses. They can do so via scanning a QR code at jtksbh.mohr.gov.my/qrdaftar/.
“In a limited time offer, JTK is exempting compounds for employers in Sabah who wish to register with the department before 31st October this year. JTK will not press charges or issue compounds to employers who register before the deadline, including those who have passed their 90-day premises operation registration limit,” Makzhan said during a State-level Labour Convention hosted by JTK at a hotel here yesterday.
Regarding the convention, he said it is an initative by JTK to create such a platform for the government to deliver the country’s latest relevant policies and laws to all parties to ensure that each policy or law that they implement can achieve the hopes and aspirations of industry players in the State.
Makzhan said a total of 69,791 employers have registered with JTK under the programme. They employ 819,111 people comprising 55 per cent local workers, while the rest are foreign workers. Of the 45 per cent foreign workers, 80 per cent possess valid work documents while the rest without.
He said looking at this data, it can be surmised that almost 50 per cent of Sabah’s industry depend on foreign workers despite 169,800 of its locals being jobless.
If analysed further, he said several sectors including agriculture and construction have around 80 per cent dependency on the foreign workers.
“All these factors need to be looked into by all parties including employers, worker unions, and academics, by giving their thoughts and opinions so that the Federal and State governments can plan relevant policies and laws which can benefit Sabah and its people,” he said. ― Borneo Post
