KUALA LUMPUR – The much touted Gig Workers Bill - a world's first was approved by the Cabinet last Friday and will now go through the Parliamentary process of being enacted into law.
However the regulatory Commission will be placed in the back burner for further review.
Human Resources Minister Steven Sim told Scoop the targeted date to table the Bill is Aug 14 - Thursday.
'So now a Select Committee will be convened to review the Draft Bill. If there are no amendments we will proceed to table it on the 14th," he said.
Sim who will be tabling the Bill said his Cabinet colleagues were satisfied with the contents of the Bill which is meant to give better protection and benefits to the country's estimated three million gig workers (according to latest data by the Department of Statistics).
'"If there are ammendments then it will have to go to the Attorney General first,' he explained.
Sim said his ministry has had 40 engagement sessions with almost 4,000 parties from platform companies, to workers, employers representatives such as the Malaysian Employers Federation, trade unions, academics, relevant govt departments and NGOs.
He added that there was a lot of interests in the social security (Perkeso) component which he said is going to be something out of the ordinary.
"These gig workers are becoming the backbone of the new economy and we must find a way to provide them with the protections they deserve," Sim said.
Meanwhile the Gig Economy Workers Commission (Segim), which has become a point of contention for certain parties will not be included in the Bill for now.
"The focus is on Gig Bill not Commission, as that needs more clarity," Sim said, adding that Deputy Prime Minister I Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will be overseeing efforts to set it up.
"There are a few things that need to be ironed out including definition of the Commission; its Terms of Reference (TOR); and budget.
"So the Cabinet decided to let the Prime Minister’s Department work out the details overseen by the Deputy Prime Minister I."
In October last year Scoop reported on the formulation of the new law to protect gig workers.
The Bill, while emphasises on ride-hailing and delivery service providers, also extends to part-time workers to provide them with the necessary financial and fiduciary protections enjoyed by full-time employees.
It includes the freedom to contract with multiple parties, spells out the obligations of both company and workers which include health and safety; and a revision of penalties for late delivery which currently encourages reckless riding.
It also provides a platform to seek recourse in the event of a dispute. - August 13, 2025
Update: It is now confirmed that the Aug 14 tabling has been postponed as the Select Committee is only meeting next week.
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