KOTA KINABALU: The Human Resources Ministry (KESUMA) will establish a One-Stop Labour Service Centre in Sabah as a new initiative to consolidate various employment-related services under one roof.
Its minister, Steven Sim said the setting up the centre in Sabah marks the latest step towards expanding this initiative throughout the country.
“We hope this one-stop centre will be realised in the months to come.
“All worker-related issues, whether concerning the Labour Department, Department of Industrial Relations Malaysia, Department of Trade Union Affairs, PERKESO (Social Security Organisation) and so on, can be referred to one place only Workers no longer need to travel back and forth to various offices,“ he said in a statement after making a working visit to the Sabah Medical Services Union (SMSU) here today.
Sim said that the passing of the Sabah Labour Ordinance and Sarawak Labour Ordinance in Parliament last year was a major achievement for KESUMA because it was finally passed after being delayed for over 20 years.
“This step allows for the alignment of workers’ rights and protection across the country. We cannot let workers in Sabah and Sarawak continue to lag behind in terms of protection. The success of amending these ordinances is not solely my effort but a collective one with the Malaysian Trade Union Congress, trade unions, the state government and KESUMA officers.
“The Sabah Labour Ordinance (Amendment) Act 2025 and Sarawak Labour Ordinance (Amendment) Act 2025 have come into effect from May 1, 2025, except for Part IVA, which contains special provisions related to minimum standards for housing, accommodation and worker facilities,“ he said.
In the meantime, Sim hopes that SMSU can increase its membership from 8,000 to 10,000 in line with the national target to double the number of union members from one million to two million.
“Joining the union means we strengthen the voice of the workers. With balanced bargaining power, only then will workers’ welfare be more assured.
“To encourage participation in the union, KESUMA launched the MADANI Employee Card initiative, which offers discounts ranging from 10 to 30 per cent at selected premises and businesses. Efforts to involve more companies are also actively being pursued to expand benefits for every member,“ he also said.
Meanwhile, SMSU president Ajulahin Japin said that they appreciate the various reforms brought since Sim took the lead in KESUMA, especially involving the full enforcement of the Sabah Labour Ordinance on May 1 this year, as well as the official establishment of the Sabah Labour Advisory Council (SLAC) on May 13.
Ajulahin also said he is among the 16 union representatives who received their appointment letters as permanent committee members, and that he has also been appointed to the permanent committee within the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) starting from May 1.
