KUCHING: It is time to defederalise the Sarawak Labour Ordinance and devolve labour law powers back to Sarawak under Article 76A of the Federal Constitution, said Kota Sentosa assemblyman Wilfred Yap.
Citing the recent debate over equal minimum wage and a 2 per cent Employees Provident Fund (EPF) contribution for migrant workers, Yap said that a centralised, one-size-fits-all approach from Putrajaya risks harming both workers and industries in Sarawak.
“Labour policies made far away in Putrajaya often ignore our vastly different economic structure, cost of living, workforce needs and rural realities,” he said in a statement today.
He stressed that sectors such as plantations, timber, oil and gas, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Sarawak could not always absorb sudden wage or EPF hikes imposed without the state’s input.
“The recent differing stance of many stakeholders over equal wage and retirement protection for certain workers, show how disconnected national decision-making can be from Sarawak’s principles of fairness.
“This is not about rejecting fairness or national standards; it is about applying or modifying them in ways that reflect Sarawak’s realities,” he said.
Yap said that devolving powers would allow Sarawak to set wage structures, working hours, and sector-specific protections that balance worker welfare with economic sustainability.
“The spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 is that Sarawak’s unique circumstances be respected, not overridden by policies designed for vastly different conditions in the Peninsula.
“Decisions about our workforce should be made here, in Sarawak, by Sarawakians, for Sarawakians.
“The call to devolve labour law powers is not only about autonomy but it is about delivering laws that truly serve the people they are meant to protect,” Yap said.
