Malaysian companies face new enforcement powers and legal uncertainty with no final draft in sight
Malaysia is on the verge of becoming the first country to introduce a standalone law regulating its gig economy. The proposed Gig Workers Bill promises to overhaul how platform-based work is structured, with potential implications for millions of workers and the companies that engage them.
The draft includes mandatory social security contributions, the formation of a dedicated enforcement body and a tribunal to handle disputes – all framed as a major shift in labor protections for non-traditional workers.
But the legislation remains in flux. That means stakeholders are responding to news reports, consultations and speculation, rather than hard facts.
“The Malaysian Gig Workers Bill is still in draft form and under review, with no final text publicly available,” says CK Lew, partner at Haeme Lew. “The bill’s definition for ‘gig workers’ is still awaiting legislative clarity.”
That lack of definition matters. While it’s anticipated that the bill will apply to workers in platform-based roles like food delivery and ride-hailing, it’s less clear how it will treat other freelance or self-employed roles.
“The Malaysian Bar has raised concerns that ‘the bill has treated the gig workers who are platform-based (for example, those in the e-hailing and p-hailing sectors) and non-platform-based workers (other freelancers) in similar terms’ and urged the government to draw clarity between...
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