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The Bill, which covers 10 parts and 112 clauses, seeks to officially define gig workers, introduce fair payment mechanisms, strengthen dispute resolution, and provide social protection.
The Ministry of Human Resources (KESUMA) has tabled the first reading of the Gig Workers Bill 2025 in the Dewan Rakyat, marking a historic milestone in Malaysia’s efforts to recognise gig workers under labour law and safeguard their rights and welfare.
This move follows Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s address at the Bumiputera Economic Congress in March 2024, where he highlighted the importance of addressing gig workers’ challenges. Since then, KESUMA, working with the University of Malaya, has carried out a study on employment policies and labour laws to support the drafting of the Bill.
Engagements with stakeholders
To ensure the Bill reflected ground realities, KESUMA formed a working committee made up of representatives from its departments and agencies. Over the course of 28 workshops and meetings, as well as discussions with the Attorney General’s Chambers, the draft was fine-tuned.
From 22 October 2024 to 7 August 2025, KESUMA also carried out 37 management engagement sessions with stakeholders nationwide, including gig workers, platforms, non-platform providers, ministries, and state governments. Among these were:
- Two sessions with the Deputy Prime Minister
- A special townhall with the Human Resources Minister
- 14 sessions with ministries, agencies, and the governments of Sabah and Sarawak
- Thirteen sessions with gig workers and service providers
- Seven sessions with industry players across six regions
In addition, 485 online responses were submitted and taken into consideration during the drafting process.
Regional and international benchmarking
KESUMA also looked outward to strengthen the Bill. This included a benchmarking visit to Singapore to study the implementation of its Platform Workers Act 2024 with the Ministry of Manpower, as well as an engagement session at Grab’s headquarters in the republic.
On the global stage, KESUMA participated in the 113th International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva, joining discussions on decent work in the platform economy and related international labour instruments.
Key thrusts of the Bill
The Gig Workers Bill 2025 is structured into 10 parts and 112 clauses, centred around four main areas:
- An official definition of ‘gig worker’
- Regulations on income and payment rates
- Dispute resolution mechanisms
- Social protection measures
KESUMA noted that once enacted, Malaysia would be among the first 15 countries worldwide to introduce a clear legal definition of gig workers.
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Lead image / KESUMA Facebook
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