Companies should consider hybrid or remote work models to help reduce both operational and commuting costs for businesses and employees: Minister
PETALING JAYA: The private sector has been urged to follow the government’s lead in embracing work-from-home (WFH) arrangements as Malaysia expands flexible working policies amid rising cost pressures and global energy concerns.
According to a news report, Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan has said private companies should seriously consider hybrid or remote work models to help reduce both operational and commuting costs for businesses and employees.
“This also saves the government on subsidies, which can be channelled to other deserving causes,” he said at a dialogue session titled “Work, Wages and Future”.
Ramanan suggested that private sector firms consider allowing employees to work from home up to three days a week, excluding Mondays and Fridays which he described as key working days.
His remarks came as the federal public sector began implementing its nationwide WFH policy on April 15.
Under the policy, federal civil servants in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Selangor and state capitals, who live more than 8km from their workplaces, are eligible to work from home.
However, essential services remain excluded, including security and defence agencies, healthcare personnel and education officers involved in school operations.
The arrangement revives and refines earlier remote working measures first introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021.
According to government circulars, WFH schedules vary by state based on weekly rest days, with each department responsible for determining essential roles and assigning remote work arrangements according to operational needs.
Employees are required to register their home address in the Human Resource Management Information System.
To ensure accountability, officers working remotely are required to use the Spot-Me system, which records attendance through electronic check-ins and geolocation tracking.
Staff are also expected to provide regular updates on their tasks throughout the day.
Ramanan said many banking institutions and multinational companies have already adopted similar flexible work models even before government implementation.
He expressed hope that more private sector employers would follow suit.
Concerns over productivity under WFH arrangements have been addressed through monitoring systems used by the public sector.
Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar previously stressed that working from home does not mean reduced accountability.
He urged civil servants to maintain or exceed performance expectations under the policy.
He said WFH must be implemented in line with established rules and KPIs, adding that productivity must be maintained at office-level standards or higher.
