Private Employment Agencies (Amendment) Bill 2017 tabled

THE PRIVATE Employment Agencies (Amendment) Bill 2017 aimed at expanding the enforcement provisions and offences of private employment agencies engaged in recruitment activities was tabled for first reading in Parliament yesterday.

The bill was presented by Human Resource Minister Datuk Seri Richard Riot to amend the Private Employment Agencies Act 1981, spelling out in more detail the procedure for application for licence, the conditions and fees imposed and other related matters.

The licence fee for the establishment of a private employment agency was set at RM500 in the bill.

The fee imposed for registration of all categories of employment within Malaysia to a job seeker was set at RM30 and below, while the fee for employment categories outside Malaysia was RM50 and below.

The bill also states the functions and powers of the director-general ( D- G), including to administer and regulate all matters relating to the licensing of a private employment agency and to regulate all matters relating to the recruiting activity.

According to Section 9 of the bill, the D- G may approve the application for a licence if the applicant complies with the conditions, whereby it is a corporation incorporated under the Companies Act 2016 with a minimum paid- up capital of RM50,000 for the category A licence; RM100,000 ( B licence) and RM250,000 (C licence) and at least 50 per cent of the total shares in the company is held by a Malaysian citizen. — Bernama