Only 50 percent of employers comply with Act 446

Only 50 percent of employers across the Peninsula comply with the Minimum Standards of Housing, Accommodation and Employee Facilities Act 1990 (Amendment) 2019 (Act 446), said the Deputy Director General (Operations) of the Peninsular Malaysia Manpower Department (JTKSM), Mohd Asri Abd Wahab.

According to Bernama, he said, the rest of the employers need to improve the welfare of their employees, covering aspects such as health, cleanliness, and safety of their residences.

“I hope that employers can come forward to meet with JTKSM to get advice to ensure that the accommodation they provide to workers meets the requirements stipulated under the act,” he told reporters after Op Walit at several premises in Taman Tiram on 29 October.

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In the operation, as many as eight blocks of shophouses used as dormitories for local workers and foreigners involving various employment sectors inspected.

“Today’s operation focused on the issue of providing accommodation, and we also check whether the employers who place their workers in this row of shophouses obtained the Accommodation Certificate or at least applied for the certificate.

“The result of the inspection, although the employer provides accommodation, but it does not have a Certificate of Accommodation from JTKSM, and there is no record of an application for a certificate of accommodation as subject to Act 446,” he said.

In connection with that, he said, 23 investigation papers issued today involving several offenses under Act 446, such as no Certificate of Accommodation Certificate, not providing beds, mattresses, locked cupboards, and toilets as outlined under the relevant act.

“All these offenses can reach up to RM50,000 for each violation.

“Looking at the data related to Act 446, for 2023 alone a total of 392 investigation papers opened and out of that number 284 investigation papers given a compound offer amounting to RM2.71 million,” he said.

A total of 30 law enforcement officers involved in Op Walit, which carried out by JTKSM in collaboration with the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (JKKP) and the Kedah Social Security Organization (PERKESO) today.