Following the news of the 15th General Election, many Malaysians have been running around trying to get everything ready and sorted for the upcoming voting day. Scheduled in 9 days, Malaysian citizens are called to head back to their respective hometowns to cast their vote and celebrate democracy.
However, some are in a dilemma as they would be afraid that their company would penalise them for not showing up to work. Just today, Human Resource Minister has announced that companies that operate in the private sector are NOT ALLOWED to penalise their staff for not showing up to work on voting day.
According to Datuk Seri M. Saravanan, he mentioned that,
“Employers are bound by subsection 25(1) of the Election Offences Act 1954. The subsection has stated that every employer must allow time off for workers to exercise their rights.
Employers who fail to obey such rule can be sued and if found guilty, employer could be fined up to RM5,000 or sentenced to a jail term of up to 1 year.”
Datuk Seri M. Saravanan has also mentioned that employees who need to travel for more than a day may apply annual leave.
Following the news, certain states like Selangor, Penang and Negeri Sembilan have declared 18 November 2022 (Friday) as a public holiday in hopes of encouraging Malaysians to head back to their hometown and vote.
To follow any news regarding the upcoming General Election, click here.
Also read: Voting For The First Time? Here Are 6 Things You Should Take Note of During GE15!
