PUTRAJAYA: The main amendment in the Employment (Amendment) Bill 2021 tabled in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday (March 21) is to extend the application of the Employment Act 1955 (Act 265) to all employees regardless of salary earned, says the Human Resources Ministry.

       The ministry in a statement said that at present, Act 265 only applied to the categories of employees specified in the First Schedule.

       It involves employees earning RM2,000 and below; and workers with no wage limits such as manual labour workers, workers involved in the operation of motor vehicles and workers who supervise manual labour workers as well as domestic workers.

       "With this extension, any existing provisions of Act 265 that touch on employee salary limits should be repealed, namely sections 44A, 69B, 69C, 69E and 81G," read the statement.

       The ministry said follow-up amendments should be made to the First Schedule of Act 265 through an order in line with the powers of the Minister of Human Resources under subsection 2 (2) of Act 265 to enable all workers in the country to receive the minimum benefits and protection prescribed under Act 265.

       "The ministry has already prepared a draft order to amend the First Schedule and assured that the order will be enforced simultaneously on the effective date of the Employment (Amendment) Bill 2021 on a date to be determined later," he said.- Bernama