KESUMA clarifies why Malaysia had no workers’ representative at 113th International Labour Conference

The ministry stressed that the delegation was selected transparently, in accordance with International Labour Organization guidelines, and with legal backing from the Attorney General’s Chambers.

Malaysia’s absence of a workers’ representative at the 113^th International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva has drawn concern but the Ministry of Human Resources (KESUMA) says it comes down to a lack of leadership at the moment within the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC).

In a statement released on 7 June 2025 (Saturday), KESUMA clarified that the MTUC, the country’s main umbrella body for trade unions, is currently lacking a leadership team. This follows a Court of Appeal decision on 21 February, which ordered MTUC to hold re-elections within 90 days.

The re-election, initially scheduled for May, has been postponed to 10 August 2025. Until then, MTUC is unable to legally nominate or represent workers at official international platforms including the ILC.

A temporary Joint Special Committee (JSC) was formed solely to manage the re-election process. However, KESUMA explained that the JSC has no legal mandate to make policy decisions or nominate individuals to represent workers at international forums. Any attempt to do so has reportedly been challenged by several MTUC affiliate members.

In light of this, Malaysia’s delegation to the ILC did not include a workers’ representative this year. KESUMA stressed that the delegation was selected transparently, in accordance with International Labour Organization guidelines, and with legal backing from the Attorney General’s Chambers.

Responding to allegations that the government had deliberately blocked worker participation, the ministry called such claims "baseless, misleading, and malicious".

Nonetheless, KESUMA reiterated the Government’s firm commitment to the principle of tripartism. It stressed its full support for the legitimate participation of trade unions at global platforms and urged the swift completion of the MTUC re-election process to safeguard the integrity of Malaysia’s labour movement and secure full representation at the ILC in 2026.

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