A Practical Guide To The Labour Ordinance Of Sabah

Description

The Labour Ordinance of Sabah (Amendment) Act 2025, which took effect on 1 May 2025, marks a significant advancement in employment law for Sabah. The amendment expands the protection of the Sabah Labour Ordinance (SLO) from employees earning RM2,500 and below to all individuals employed under a contract of service. At the same time, it maintains a balance with employers’ interests by restricting eligibility for overtime pay, rest-day and public holiday payments, and termination benefits to employees earning up to RM4,000 or those in specified categories.

Most notably, the reform grants every employee, regardless of income level, the right to bring matters before the Labour Court. This book provides a comprehensive explanation of these amendments, complete with practical illustrations, relevant case law, and over 60 frequently asked questions (FAQs) designed to help HR practitioners, employers, and employees understand and apply the law effectively in real-world contexts.

Table of Contents: 

1. Preliminary & Interpretation
2. Officers
3. Complaints & Inquiries
4. Sexual Harassment
5. Terms & Conditions
6. Apprenticeship Contracts & Registers, Returns & Notice Board
7. Employment of Children & Young Persons
8. Pregnancy & Maternity
9. Repatriation & Domestic Employees
10. Genral Provisions Relating To Contracts of Service
11. mployment Of Non-Resident Employment & Flexible Working Arrangement
12. Employees’ Minimum Standards of Housing, Accomodations & Other Amenities
13. Health, Hospital, Medical Treatment & Sanitation
14. Accomodations
15. Regulatiuons & General Provisions, Appeals & Offences
16. Offences, Penalties, Savings & Repeal
17. Labour (Part-Time Employees) (Sabah) Rules 2013
18. Labour (Termination & Lay-Off Benefits) (Sabah) Rules 2008
19. FAQs on the Labour Ordinance of Sabah
    APPENDIX 1: Labour Ordinance of Sabah
    APPENDIX 2: Labour (Part-Time Employees) (Sabah) Rules 2013
    APPENDIX 3: LABOUR (Termination & Lay-Off Benefits) (Sabah) Rules 2008
    Index

About The Author:

Balasubramaniam began his professional journey in 1960 as a Kirkby-trained teacher and ventured into industrial relations the following year, serving as Secretary of the MTUC Terengganu Division. He later earned a Second-Class Upper Honours degree in Social Science (Economics) with a distinction in Industrial Relations, and in 1976, joined the Malayan Council of Employers’ Organisations (MCEO) as Deputy Secretary. When MCEO was dissolved in 1978, he was appointed Industrial Relations Advisor at the Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF), during which time he also completed his LLB (Hons) degree.

After retiring from MEF in 1996, he established the Meca Employers Consulting Agency, where he served as CEO and Principal Legal Advisor. Although he officially retired from MECA in December 2007, he continued to contribute as Chairman and advisor. Over the course of his distinguished career, he has served on the National Labour Advisory Council, represented employers before both the Industrial and Labour Courts, and lectured part-time in Labour Law at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. He also taught Economics at the University of Malaya and Quantitative Methods at Universiti Sains Malaysia. In addition, he has conducted numerous training courses on labour law and industrial relations and authored several books on labour law.