The Human Resources Ministry (KESUMA) has reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding workers’ rights and welfare, stressing that labour–management relations should not be viewed as a zero-sum contest in which one side must lose for the other to gain.
Human Resources Minister, Steven Sim Chee Keong said the ministry remains the nation’s primary institution entrusted with protecting employees, who he described as the backbone of Malaysia’s economic development.
He said every policy and initiative formulated by the ministry is aimed at ensuring a balanced outcome for both workers and employers, in line with efforts to build a fair, progressive and sustainable labour ecosystem.
“I have made it clear, even before top management and company owners – whether they are Tan Sris or Datuk Seris – that my stand is firmly with workers. There is only one Human Resources Ministry, and if this ministry does not defend workers, where else can they turn to?” he said.
Sim said this in his address at the signing ceremony of the 14th Collective Agreement between Genting Malaysia Berhad (GENM) and the GENM Employees Union.
He also rejected claims that advocating for workers would disadvantage employers, emphasising that constructive industrial relations are founded on mutual cooperation rather than confrontation.
“The most important principle for me is that this is not a fight for survival. It is not about workers winning at the expense of employers, nor employers progressing while workers are left behind,” he added.
-HR HUB
