Ministry to set up Industrial Appeals Court

KUALA LUMPUR: The Human Resources Ministry is planning to set up an Appeals Court for the Industrial Court in line with the amendment to the Industrial Relations Act 1967.

Human Resources Minister M Kula Segaran said that the setting up of the court had been agreed upon by the quarters concerned.

‘’It will be entered into the act holistically which will be tabled in Parliament this June,’’ he told Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

He was answering to a supplementary question from Datuk Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid (PH-Kapar) who wanted to know the ministry’s plan to set up a higher court for the Industrial Court including amending Section 20 (3) of the Industrial Relations Act 1967.

Kula Segaran also agreed to amend Section 20 (3) of the Industrial Relations Act 1967 to limit the power of the minister in the act.

“I believe that we must limit the power of the minister and I have agreed and it had been entered in the planned act,” he said.

In another development, Kula Segaran said the government was taking several steps to realise the aspiration of providing one million quality employment opportunities for the people in the country including efforts to attract more domestic and foreign investments.

In addition, he said, the government was providing value added via innovation and creativity by increasing the element of high technology automation to boost high skills employment opportunities.

“We are also taking suitable steps working with industries to reduce dependence on foreign workers with low pays,” he said when answering to a question from Hasanuddin Mohd Yunus (PH-Hulu Langat) who wanted to know the efforts done by the government to achieve the aspiration of one million quality employment in the PH manifesto. - Bernama

ICU drawing up new Income Poverty Line

KUALA LUMPUR: The Implementation Co-ordinating Unit (ICU) is drawing up a new guideline to decide the Income Poverty Line (IPL) to take into account the current situation.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (National Unity and Social Well-being) Datuk Dr Md Farid Md Rafik said it included the elements of the increase in the cost of living and the urban poor group.

“This can also ensure that (deserving) groups especially the urban poor can be entered into the e-Kasih system,” he told the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

He was answering to a supplementary question from Datuk Dr Noraini Ahmad (BNParit Sulong) who wanted to know the ministry’s plan to review matters relating to salary scales to enable the low income group (B40) to register with e-Kasih due to the cost of living.

In another development, 631,587 household heads (HH) nationwide had registered with e-Kasih as of Feb 28.

Md Farid said that, of the total, 55,981 HH were under the hardcore poor category.

“In addition, 134,553 HH were under the ‘poor’ category while 441,053 HH were those who are out of the ‘poor’ category (or in a better category),” he said.

He was answering to the original question from Wong Ling Biu (PH-Sarikei) who wanted to know the number of families who had registered under e-Kasih to date. - Bernama