Implementation of amended Employment Act deferred to give time for employers to resolve shortage of workers - Saravanan

He said implementation of the amended law was deferred upon request by the employers themselves.

"The employers need time and their request (to defer implementation of the amended law) is rational," he told reporters after opening the 23rd Conference and Exhibition on Occupational Safety and Health at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre here today.

He said this in response to comments by several quarters over the government's move to defer implementation of the amended Employment Act, which among other things, involved reducing the working hours from 48 hours to 45 hours a week, increasing maternity leave from 60 days to 98 days and paternity leave from three days to seven days.

Meanwhile, Saravanan said he had discussed with the Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC) on the postponement of the implementation of the Employment Act 1955, which was made after studying the views of all quarters.

He said a total of 47,000 foreign workers had entered the country so far, with nearly 19,000 of them being Nepali citizens.

He refuted claims that the cost of hiring foreign workers was too high, saying that it was with "zero cost'.

However, he said, employers who hire foreign workers would have to cover their cost of accommodation and flight fares.

He advised employers who have paid the levy for their foreign workers to submit the relevant documents to the relevant authority for further action.

The two-day COSH 2022 themed 'Resilience towards new challenges' which starts today involves more than 1,300 local and foreign participants.