The Ministry of Human Resources will embark on a programme to bring together employers and workers as part of efforts to promote a sound and quality workplace relations and cooperation. The Minister, Dato Sri Richard Riot said understanding and respecting the rights and obligations of employers under the country’s laws as well as respecting the rights and obligations of workers, including foreign domestic workers is an important quest and policy to promote a sound and quality workplace. He added that this atmosphere is more apparent as Malaysia takes progressive strides through its development agenda to be a highly competitive nation, globally. “Whilst the government through the Ministry of Human Resources persistently encourages parties concerned to invest into bold steps and sound practices to constantly induce cordial and quality day to day routine workplace relations between employers and their workers, including foreign domestic workers, the government through MOHR will continue to embark into implementing preventive measures and strategies in the constant quest of securing conducive and positive industrial relations climate for the nation social and economic development,” he said.
The programme will take the shape of a half-day forum. The ‘Harmony Engagement Forum’ will be targeted at employers and their domestic workers, in particular, domestic workers who are freshly recruited, including those who have already been in the employment by an employer in the country. It will be conducted on a regular or monthly scheduled basis. The engagement forum is geared at providing a structured platform for both employers and their domestic workers with the opportunity to appreciate and respect each other’s rights and obligations under the respective laws in the country. The module contents of the engagement program which extend to cover both social and legal matters related to labour, immigration, safety and health, good workplace practices as well as custom and culture of the country will be jointly conducted by the Ministry in collaboration with other related enforcement agencies. The programme has been scheduled to be carried out mid-February this year.
