Malaysia's Gig Workers Commission Bill to be tabled in Parliament in July '24: PM Anwar

The Prime Minister said the upcoming bill would relate to the demands and needs of the youth workforce.

Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has announced that a Gig Workers Commission Bill will be tabled in Parliament in July 2024.

Speaking at the National Youth Day Celebration 2024 in Melaka on the weekend, the Prime Minister stressed the importance and role of the youth in driving the country's direction both in the present and in the future. As cited by NST, PM Anwar noted a "recent proposal to establish the gig commission as hundreds of thousands of youths are involved in the gig economy."

In further commentary in a Facebook post, he added: "Not only [do] the voices of the youth need to be heard, but the demands of such people need to be carried out taking into account the changes in the world at this time that are more towards digitalisation and modernisation."

Thus, the upcoming tabling of the bill, he said, which will relate to the demands and needs of the youth workforce. 

Alongside the above, PM Anwar also shared that there will be an additional allocation of RM3mn to the Malaysia Youth Council, to aid in the implementation of programmes and the management of youth clubs across the country.

According to an earlier NST report, Minister of Human Resources Steven Sim had shared a series of considerations that need to be made when establishing the Gig Workers Commission:

• Relevant legislation
• A grievance mechanism
• The commission's structure and functions
• Financial implications
• Wage rates determination
• Social protection
• Occupational safety & health
• An integrated database for the registration of gig workers and platform providers

Quoted in the report, the Ministry of Human Resources said in a statement: "The establishment of the Gig Workers Commission will provide a formal channel to address issues in the gig sector, such as grievances related to platform manipulation of gig workers, wage determination, and other related matters." The minister also added that an interim report on this establishment will be presented at a Cabinet meeting in June, followed by the final report in August.

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Photo: PM Anwar's Facebook