Employers who deny workers voting rights to face legal action

MARANG - Employers will face legal action if they refuse to allow their workers to vote in the upcoming state election in six states on Aug 12.

Deputy Minister of Human Resources, Mustapha Sakmud, insisted that employers who do not permit their employees to vote may be subject to fines of up to RM5,000 or 25(3) of the Election Offences Act 1954.

He added that if employees need to vote outside their designated area, employers are required to grant them annual leave.

“All employers must obey and allow their employees to go home to vote.

"If any employer does not allow it, the employee can file a complaint with the Election Commission (EC) regarding the matter and immediate action will be taken against the employer involved.

“So I advise employers to comply with the stipulated act in addition to allowing their workers to return home to vote in the soon-to-be-held state election,” he told reporters after the East Zone 2023 Tripartite Engagement Session programme here on Tuesday.

Voting for the six state elections will occur simultaneously on August 12th, with candidate nominations scheduled for July 29th.

The state elections encompass 36 seats in the State Legislative Assembly of Kedah, 45 seats in Kelantan, 32 seats in Terengganu, 40 seats in Penang, 56 seats in Selangor, and 36 seats in Negeri Sembilan.

This election will present a total of 245 state assembly seats up for grabs by competing parties, who aim to secure the people's mandate.