KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 5 — The Small and Medium Enterprises Association of Malaysia (Samenta), has voiced strong objections to a proposed requirement for employers to report all job vacancies and newly created positions, calling it an “illogical” and burdensome measure for SMEs.
In a statement today, Samenta welcomed the overall package of reforms under the recent amendments to the Employment Insurance System Act 2017 (EIS) and related social security laws, highlighting improvements such as enhanced benefits for contributors, higher re-employment allowances, expanded training support, and greater mobility assistance.
These, the association said, are important strides in strengthening worker protection and labour-market resilience.
However, the association’s national president, Datuk William Ng, said the mandatory job-vacancy reporting requirement — even with a moratorium of up to two years before enforcement — is insufficient to address concerns.
He noted that Samenta was not consulted on this provision, despite SMEs facing the greatest compliance and operational impact.
“The mandatory job-vacancy reporting requirement comes as an unwelcome surprise. Any policy with far-reaching implications on hiring must be preceded by meaningful and structured engagement with SME stakeholders,” Ng said.
He added that the requirement would place an additional compliance burden on SMEs already grappling with rising costs and manpower shortages.
Ng highlighted scenarios where SMEs may be unable or unwilling to disclose vacancies, including positions still held by incumbents, strategic business plans, or roles contingent on market conditions.
Samenta urged the government and Perkeso to withdraw the compulsory element of the requirement and instead adopt an opt-in, incentivised system, where employers are encouraged to share vacancy information through benefits such as preferential access to government-funded training, matching services, or tax-related incentives.
“SMEs are ready to engage constructively with the government and Perkeso to ensure labour-market reforms strike the right balance between protecting workers and sustaining business growth,” Ng said, stressing that genuine consultation must precede policy decisions.
