Group renews call for single approval system under HR Ministry

Summary

• ACCCIM requests a single approval system for foreign worker recruitment under the Human Resources Ministry.

• ACCCIM discusses labour issues with the human resources minister, including employment contract stamping, levies, and wage policies.

• ACCCIM pledges support for the government’s HR initiatives and collaboration on raising awareness among its members.

The Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM) has reiterated its call for a single approval system - or a one-stop centre - for foreign worker recruitment to be placed fully under the Human Resources Ministry.

ACCCIM president Ng Yih Pyng, during a meeting with Human Resources Minister Steven Sim, said the ministry was best suited to oversee the end-to-end process, citing its core mandate in managing labour and human resources matters.

“We believe that consolidating the process under one responsible agency would significantly improve efficiency, reduce bureaucratic hurdles, and expedite processing time,” Ng said in a statement today.

ACCCIM said the ministry meeting attended by its officials discussed a wide range of labour-related issues affecting the business community, including the stamping of employment contracts under the Stamp Act 1949, the multi-tier levy mechanism, the progressive wage policy, and the powers of the Occupational Safety and Health Department.

In its statement, ACCCIM also called for a review of the mandatory stamping requirement for employment contracts, proposing that the exemption threshold be updated from the current RM300 monthly wage to RM10,000.

It further urged the government to implement a “grand amnesty” on non-compliance dating back to Jan 1, 2022, and to apply a “grandfathering rule” to prevent retroactive enforcement.

The association said it welcomed Sim’s explanation and clarification on the matters raised, and both parties agreed on the need for ongoing engagement and better understanding of the ministry’s policies.

Further, ACCCIM said the ministry has expressed readiness to collaborate to raise awareness of human resource initiatives among its members, including the progressive wage policy and various upskilling programmes.

“ACCCIM remains committed to fully supporting the government and the ministry in implementing HR policies and initiatives while providing constructive feedback to help build a future-proof workforce,” it added.

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