Gig Workers’ Bill to Be Tabled On Aug 14 – Ahmad Zahid

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 7 (Bernama) -- The Gig Workers’ Bill 2025, a specific legal framework aimed at officially recognising and protecting gig workers, is to be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat for its first reading on Aug 14, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

He said the second reading would take place on Aug 26.

“It is during the second reading that the bill will be explained in detail and debated by Members of Parliament from both the government and opposition, before being put to a vote.

“The vote does not require a two-thirds majority, just a simple majority,” he said.

He was speaking during a *Sembang Santai Teh Tarik Industri Gig* session organised by the Human Resources Ministry (KESUMA), which was attended by gig industry representatives and other stakeholders.

Also present were Human Resources Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong and his deputy Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamad.

At a press conference following the session, Ahmad Zahid said the government is working to carry out an awareness campaign to encourage more gig workers to contribute to the Self-Employment Social Security Scheme (SKSPS) under the Social Security Organisation (PERKESO), due to the current low contribution rate.

He said thus far, only 188,000 p-hailing workers and 132,000 e-hailing workers are contributing, out of a total of 1.12 million workers in the gig economy.

Meanwhile, Sim said during the session that if the Act is implemented, Malaysia would be the 16th country in the world to introduce legislation to protect workers in the gig sector.

He said the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has also expressed interest in learning about Malaysia’s experience in preparing the Gig Workers’ Bill, noting that Malaysia’s version is seen as more comprehensive and not extreme.

“We compared our approach with 15 other countries, focusing particularly on four – Singapore and the Philippines as neighbouring countries, the United States due to its advanced economy, and India because its legal framework is quite similar to ours.

“When I visited the ILO in Geneva, Switzerland last June, many countries were eagerly awaiting Malaysia’s version,” he said.

Sim added that a total of 40 engagement sessions were held in drafting the bill, involving around 4,000 stakeholders, including workers, companies, associations, employers’ representatives, academics, NGOs, and others.

“There was input from both worker and employer representatives, and over the past year we’ve tried to strike a balance.

“Each party has its own interests... we’ve tried to harmonise them so the legislation is not overly complicated — especially to protect gig workers while also maintaining the competitiveness of the gig economy sector in our country,” he said.

-- BERNAMA