Kula discusses law amendments with Sabah CM

KOTA KINABALU: Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran has held talks with Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal on the proposed amendments to two Acts under his ministry, which would enable them to be enforced in the state.

The two Acts are the Minimum Standard of Housing and Amenities Act 1990 and the Children and Young Persons Act (Employment) Act 1966.

The discussions were held during Kulasegaran’s courtesy call on Shafie at the Sabah State Government Administrative Complex here.

Kulasegaran said the discussions were crucial to enable the ministry to pursue the government’s objectives in line with the obligations of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans- Pacific Partnership.

“These two Acts need the close cooperation of the Sabah government, and a decision from its Chief Minister will enable the ministry to continue pursuing the objectives of the government,” he said at a press conference.

Kulasegaran said under his ministry, there were eight laws involving Sabah’s employment sector that had to be ratified.

He said the ministry would amend the laws at the federal level so that they could be applied at the state level and in principle, the Sabah government would work with the ministry on this.

“The federal and state governments will collaborate. We (the ministry) want to make it easy and make the laws uniformed to create a win-win situation (between the government, employers and workers),” he added.

Mohd Shafie said the state government would work to ensure that laws in Sabah’s employment sector were more relevant and in line with current needs.