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For instance, paternity leave entitlement will follow that in the Peninsula, with fathers of newborns receiving seven days of paternity leave.
The Sabah State Government has given approval to Malaysia's Ministry of Human Resources (KSM) to amend the Sabah Labour Ordinance (Sabah Chapter 67) so that workers in Sabah will receive the same benefits as those in the Peninsula, as Deputy Human Resources Minister Mustapha Sakmud has shared.
In a statement, the deputy minister said: "This amendment has been refined through joint discussions between the Government, employers, and trade unions in Sabah, taking into account various aspects including the economic situation and the reality of the development of the State of Sabah.
"KSM commits that workers' rights will be fought for in accordance with the International Labour Standards outlined by the International Labour Organization (ILO)."
This move comes following an incident in the state, wherein, as shared in the statement, a worker's wife and newborn child had passed away on his day of return to work, with the worker claiming that he was only given two days of paternity leave.
To this, Deputy Minister Mustapha noted that at that point in time, the seven-day paternity leave that applies in the Peninsula had yet to be enforced in Sabah.
Additionally, upon investigation by the Labour Department (JTK), it was found that the employer had cut the worker's salary for 13 days during the mourning period, as the employee had not applied for annual leave for that period. However, following the advice of JTK, the employer has since withdrawn the deduction and has paid the full salary to the employee, "even though it is the employee's responsibility to apply for annual leave in advance if they are absent from work," the deputy minister added.
The full statement is as follows:
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