Published on: Sunday, February 21, 2021
By: FMT
A workers’ quarters near a construction site.
PETALING JAYA: The workers’ minimum standards of housing and amenities act 1990 (Act 446) will now be enforced in Sabah and Sarawak, following an amendment to the Act, Human Resources Minister M Saravanan said.
There were previously no laws related to employee housing in Sabah and Sarawak.
“This is just for the duration of the emergency. We will have discussions with the states to see how effective the Act is,” he said.
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The Emergency Ordinance (Workers’ Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities) 2021 was gazetted on Feb 17, which now allows the law to be implemented in Sabah and Sarawak.
PUTRAJAYA: The Emergency Ordinance (Workers’ Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities) 2021 has been gazetted and will see stiffer penalties against employers or owners of accommodation for failing to provide proper housing facilities for workers.
With the Ordinance, gazetted on Feb 17, in place, the use of Act 446 can now be used in Sabah and Sarawak.
The Ordinance will give authority to the director-general of the Labour Department to order owners of accommodation to replace, change or upgrade the facilities should it be found not to meet criteria under the Act, said Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan
(pic) .
“Owners of accommodation who fail to comply with the order can be fined up to RM200,000 or be jailed up to three years or both, ” he said at a press conference Thursday (Feb 18).