Sabah Labour Advisory Council Safeguards Workers’ Rights

The Sabah Labour Advisory Council (SLAC) - mooted in 2023 and established in early 2025 - comprises 16 representatives from the government, 16 from the employers’ associations, and 16 from the workers’ unions. The SLAC was set up to ensure that the Decent Work Agenda, one of the main aspirations of the International Labour Organisation, can be implemented.

SLAC will safeguard workers' rights and harmonise tripartite relations between the government, employers, and employees in Sabah and it will serve as a platform for employers and employees to share views and give suggestions on labour-related matters to the government so that policies and legislations that are more suited to Sabah’s industrial landscape can be implemented.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor – in a message to the council on 13 May 2025, in Kota Kinabalu – said that the tripartite discussion involving the government, employers, and employees is in line with the International Labour Organisation's Tripartite Consultation Convention (No. 144) of 1976. “It is our responsibility to ensure that the principles of the Decent Work Agenda are not just slogans, but are embedded in every policy, practice, and action," Hajiji said.

"When workers are protected and valued, productivity will increase, and the economy will thrive. This is the philosophy we want to instil through SLAC." Hajiji assures the smooth implementation of the amendment to the Sabah Labour Ordinance (Amendment) 2025.

The CM said that during the 2025’s National Labour Day celebrations, many initiatives were enforced or empowered including the eradication of forced labour, workplace discrimination and sexual harassment, protection of women and children, management of non-resident workers, flexible working hours, housing and accommodation, and workers’ facilities. Another key move was the increase of the monthly minimum wage from RM1,500 to RM1,700.

In Sabah, Hajiji said that the Sabah Labour Department has done a good job : it has carried out enforcement activities through Statutory Inspections, Complaint Investigations, and Labour Court Case Handling which have benefited 13,487 workers involving RM22.2 million in 2024. Hajiji said workers benefits; safety; health; skill and career development; and protection can be further improved through the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), the Social Security Organisation (SOCSO), and the Employment Insurance System. "Labour laws are not a form of pressure on employers, but a mechanism to ensure continuity and harmony in employment relations,” Hajiji added.

Datuk Dr Ariffin Arif, State Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, represented the CM and delivered CM’s message.