Amendments to the Employment Act 1955 regarding flexible working arrangements are among the matters that will be implemented soon, said Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar.

According to The Star, the amendments are also included in several of the ministry's other plans. Perhaps, he is now gathering all the feedback from the relevant agencies to have a better understanding of the duties and responsibilities of each department.

As the Minister is currently looking at the existing policies, he needs an approximately a week to collect all the information.

“I am also hoping to implement the matters soon.” - Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar.

Needless to say, he has also stated that it is entirely up to the employers whether or not to implement the system but instead offer incentives to increase workers’ productivity.

"Not everyone can adhere to the same working hours. For instance, some people are unable to work from 8 am to 5 pm owing to things such as family responsibilities, which may cause them to arrive late for work and have to work late hours as well, Berita Harian reported.

The amendment to the Act was supposed to take effect on Sept 1. However, it was postponed to Jan 1, 2023, following requests from employers and industries who said they needed more time as most companies were still recuperating from the Covid-19 outbreak

On the other hand, the Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services has yet again urged the government to raise the minimum wage of civil servants from RM1,200 to RM1,800.

President Datuk Adnan Mat said the proposal was submitted three years ago but has not undergone thorough in-depth analysis due to the Covid-19 outbreak and the changeover in the cabinet.

“We appeal to the government to relook at the minimum wage proposal because the present scheme is too far behind. Hope the new government under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim [will] review the proposal to increase the minimum wage to RM1,800," he said.

Image Credit & Source: The star , Bernama