马来西亚《最低退休年龄法》

繁星追梦

LAWS OF MALAYSIA

ONLINE VERSION OF UPDATED TEXT OF REPRINT

Act 753

MINIMUM RETIREMENT AGE ACT 2012

As at 1 November 2016

PART I

PRELIMINARY

Section

1.    Short title and commencement

2.   Non-application

3.   Interpretation

PART II

MINIMUM RETIREMENT AGE

4.   Minimum retirement age

5.   Premature retirement

6.   Optional retirement

7.   Invalidity of term of contract of service and collective agreement

PART III

COMPLAINTS AND INQUIRIES

8.   Director General’s power to inquire into complaints

9.   Reference to High Court on question of law

10.   Appeal

11.   Non-compliance with direction of Director General

PART  IV

INVESTIGATION AND ENFORCEMENT

Section

12.      Power of Director General

13.      Power to require attendance of persons acquainted with case

14.      Power to require production of document

PART   V

GENERAL

15.      Exercise of Director General’s powers by labour officer

16.      Prosecution

17.      Compounding of offences

18.      Exemption

19.      Power to make regulations

SCHEDULE

An  Act  to  provide  for  the  minimum  retirement  age  and  for  any related matters thereto.

[1 July 2013; P.U.(B) 422/2012]

ENACTED by the Parliament of Malaysia as follows:

PART I

PRELIMINARY

Short title and commencement

1.   (1)    This  Act  may  be  cited  as  the  Minimum  Retirement  Age Act 2012.

(2)    This Act  comes into operation on a date to be appointed by the  Minister  by  notification  in  the  Gazette and  the  Minister  may appoint  different  dates  for  the  coming  into  operation  of  different provisions of this Act.

Non-application

2.    (1)   This  Act  does  not  apply  to  the  person  specified  in  the Schedule.

(2)    The Minister may, by order published in the  Gazette, amend the Schedule.

Interpretation

3.      In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires— “prescribe” means prescribed by regulations;

“Directior General” means—

(a) in respect of Peninsular Malaysia, the Director  General of Labour appointed under subsection 3(1) of the Employment Act 1955 [Act 265];

(b) in respect of Sabah, the Director of Labour appointed under subsection    3(1)    of    the     Sabah    Labour    Ordinance [Sabah Cap 67]; and

(c) in  respect  of Sarawak,  the  Director  of Labour  appointed under  subsection  3(1)  of the  Sarawak  Labour  Ordinance [Sarawak Cap 76];

“contract  of  service”  means  any  agreement,  whether  oral  or  in writing, and whether express or implied, whereby one person agrees to employ another person as an employee and that person agrees to serve his employer as an employee;

“employer” means any person who has entered into a contract of service to employ another person as an employee and includes an agent, a manager or factor of the first-mentioned person;

“Minister” means the  Minister  charged with the responsility for human resources;

“labour officer” means the officer appointed under subsection 3(2) of the Employment Act 1955, subsection 3(1A) of the Sabah Labour Ordinance or subsection 3(1A) of the Sarawak Labour Ordinance;

“employee” means any person who has  entered  into, and works under,  a  contract  of  service  with  an  employer  irrespective  of his wages but does not include the person specified in the Schedule;

“collective  agreement”  has  the  same  meaning  assigned  to  it  in section 2 of the Industrial Relations Act 1967 [Act 177];

“retirement”  means  termination  of  a  contract  of  service  of  an employee on the ground of age;

“premature retirement” means a retirement not in accordance with section 5;

“minimum  retirement  age”  means  the  minimum  retirement  age provided under subsection 4(1) and where the Minister prescribes a higher minimum retirement age under subsection 4(2), such higher minimum retirement age.

PART II

MINIMUM RETIREMENT AGE

Minimum retirement age

4.    (1)   Notwithstanding   any   other   written   law,   the   minimum retirement age of an employee shall be upon the employee attaining the age of sixty years.

(2)    The Minister may, by notification in the  Gazette, prescribe a minimum retirement  age higher than the minimum retirement  age provided under subsection (1).

(3)    When  the Minister prescribes  a higher minimum retirement age under  subsection  (2),  the  prescribed  minimum  retirement  age shall   supersede   the   minimum   retirement    age   provided   under subsection (1).

Premature retirement

5.    (1)   An   employer  shall  not  prematurely  retire   an   employee before the employee attains the minimum retirement age.

(2)    An  employer  who  contravenes  subsection  (1)  commits  an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to the fine not exceeding ten thousand ringgit.

(3)    A   premature    retirement   shall    not   include   an   optional retirement under section 6 and a termination of a contract of service for any reason other than on the ground of age.

Optinal retirement

6.    Notwithstanding the minimum retirement age, an employee may retire upon attaining the age of optional retirement as agreed in the contract of service or collective agreement.

Invalidity of term of contract of service and collective agreement

7.    (1)   Any  retirement  age  in  a  contract  of  service  or  collective agreement made before, on or after the date of coming into operation of this Act which is less than the minimum retirement age provided under this Act shall be deemend to be void and substituted with the minimum retirement age provided under this Act.

(2)    Any  term  in  a  contract  of  service  or  collective  agreement relating to retirement age shall be void if it excludes or limits the operation of any provision of this Act.

PART III

COMPLAINTS AND INQUIRIES

Directior General’s power to inquire into complaints

8.    (1)   An  employee  who  has  been  prematurely  retired  by  his employer has, whithin sixty days from the date of the retirement, the option to complain in writing to the Director General.

(2)    If  an  employee  opts  to  make  a  complaint  to  the  Director General  under  subsection  (1),  the  employee  shall  not  make  a representation under section 20 of the Industrial Relations Act 1967 until his complaint to the Director General under this section has been resolved.

(3)    If an employee has made a representation under section 20 of the Industrial Relations Act  1967 and also made a complaint under subsection (1), the Director General shall not conduct an inquiry on the complaint made by the employee.

(4)    Subject to  subsection  (3), the Director General may conduct an inquiry, in the manner prescribed by the Minister, to determine whether there  is prima facie evidence that  an  employee  has been prematurely retired by his employer.

(5)    Upon   an   inquiry   under   subsection   (4),   if   the   Director General—

(a)   is  satisfied  that  the  complaint  by  an  employee  is  not substantiated,  the  Director  General  shall  dismiss  the complaint; or

(b)   is   satisfied  that  the   employee  has  been  prematurely retired by his employer, the Director General may direct the employer—

(i)   to    reinstate    the    employee    in    his     former employment and to pay the employee any arrears of wages calculated from the date the employee has been prematurely retired to the  date  of the reinstatement; or

(ii)  to pay the  employee  a  compensation  in  lieu  of reinstatement, not exceeding the amount of total wages of the  employee calculated from the date the employee has been prematurely retired to the date the employee attains the minimum retirement age.

(6)    Notwithstanding  subsection  (2)  and  any  limitation  period provided   under   subsection   20(1A)   of   the   Industrial   Relations Act 1967, an employee may make a representation under section 20 of the  Industrial  Relations  Act   1967  if  the  Director  General  has dismissed   his    complaint    under   paragraph    (5)(a),    and    such representation shall be made within thirty days after the dismissal of the  complaint  under  paragraph   (5)(a)  is   communicated   to   the employee.

(7)    If an employee has made a representation under section 20 of the  Industrial  Relations  Act   1967   after  his   complaint  has  been dismissed under paragraph  (5)(a), the  employee  is  not  entitled  to appeal  under  section  10  of this  Act,  against  the  dismissal  of his complaint by the Director General.

(8)    If  the  Director  General  has  made   a  representation  under paragraph (5)(b), the employee is not entitled to any other remedy for a  dismissal  without  just  cause  and  excuse  under  the  Industrial Relations Act 1967.

(9)    For the purpose of this section, “wages”—

(a)  for  the employee  specified in the First  Schedule to the Employment  Act  1955,  in  the  Schedule  to  the  Sabah Labour  Ordinance  or  in  the  Schedule  to  the  Sarawak Labour   Ordinance,  has  the  meaning   assigned  to   it respectively in section 2 of the Employment Act  1955, section 2 of the Sabah Labour Ordinance or section 2 of the Sarawak Labour Ordinance; and

(b)  for the  employee not  specified in the First  Schedule to the Employment Act 1955, in the Schedule to the Sabah Labour  Ordinance  or  in  the  Schedule  to  the  Sarawak Labour Ordinance, means the rates of wages agreed upon in his contract of service.

Refence to High Court on question of law

9.    (1)   In  any inquiry under subsection  8(4), the Director General may, if the thinks fit, refer any question of law for the decision of a Judge of the High Court and if the Director General does so he shall make his decision in the inquiry in conformity with the decision of the Judge of the High Court.

(2)    An appeal on any decision of a Judge of the High Court under subsection (1) shall lie to the Court of Appeal.

Appeal

10.  (1)  A  person   who  is  dissatisfied  with   the  decision  of  the Director General under subsection 8(5) may appeal to the High Court.

(2)    Subject to any rules made under section 4 of the Subordinate Court Rules Act  1955  [Act 55],  the  procedure in an appeal to the High Court shall be the procedure in a civil appeal from a Sessions Court with such modifications as the circumstances may require.

Non-compliance with direction of Director General

11.  (1)  An employer who fails to comply with the direction of the Director General under paragraph  8(5)(b) commits  an offence  and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding ten thousand ringgit.

(2)    If  an   employer  has  been   convicted  of  an   offence  under subsection  (1),  the  court  before  which  the  employer  has  been convicted may order the employer to pay to the employee the amount directed by the Director General to be paid under paragraph 8(5)(b).

(3)    If  an  employer  fails  to  comply  with  an  order  made  under subsection  (2), the  court may,  on the application of an  employee, issue  a  warrant  to  levy  the  employer’s  property  for  the  amount ordered to be paid under subsection (2) in the following manner:

(a)  by way of distress and sale of the employer’s property in accordance with the same procedure of execution under the *Subordinate Courts Rules  1980 [P.U.(A) 328/1980] and    this    execution    shall    apply    mutatis   mutandis notwithstanding the amount ordered to be paid; or

(b)  in   the   same   manner   as   a   fine   as   provided   under section 283 of the Criminal Procedure Code [Act 593].

*NOTE— The Subordinate Courts Rules 1980 [P.U.(A) 328/1980] was repealed by the Rules of Court 2012 [P.U. (A) 205/2012]

PART IV

INVESTIGATION AND ENFORCEMENT

Powers of Director General

12.  The Director General shall have all the powers—

(a)  to investigate into any offence under this Act; and (b)  to enforce any provision of this Act.

Power to require attendance of persons acquainted with case

13.  (1)  The Director General in making an investigation under this Act may, by order in writing, require the attendance before himself of any person who appears to him to be acquainted with the facts and circumstances of the case, and such person shall attend as so required.

(2)    If any  person  refuses  or  fails  to  attend  as  so  required, the Director General may report such refusal or failure to a Magistrate who shall issue a summons to secure the attendance of such person as maybe required by the order made under subsection (1).

(3)    The Director General may examine orally a person supposed to be acquainted with the facts and circumstances of the case under his investigation.

(4)    A person  shall be bound to answer all questions put to him relating to the case under investigation by the Director General but the person may refuse to answer any question which would have a tendency to expose him to a criminal charge or penalty or forfeiture.

(5)    A  person  making  a  statement  under  this  section  shall  be legally bound to  state  the truth, whether  or not  such  statement  is made wholly or partly in answer to questions.

(6)    The     Director     General     examining     a     person     under subsection  (3)  shall  first  inform  the  person  of  the  provisions  of subsections (4) and (5).

(7)    A  statement made by any person under this section shall be reduced into writing and signed by the person making the statement or affixed with his thumbprint after the statement has been read to him in the language in which he made it and after he has been given an opportunity to make any correction he may wish.

Power to require production of document

14.  (1)  The Director General in making an investigation under this Act may—

(a)   require   any  person   acquainted  with  the   facts  and circumstances of the case to produce any contract of service or other document relating to the employment of  an   employee   who   makes   a   complaint   under subsection 8(1);

(b)   make   copies   of  any   contract  of  service   or   other document  relating  to  employement  produced  under paragraph (a); and

(c)   take or remove any relevant document.

(2)    If the  Director General is  satisfied that the retaining of any document is no longer necessary, the Director General may return the document to the person who has provided the document as soon as practicable.

PART V

GENERAL

Exercise of Director General’s powers by labour officer

15.  (1)   Subject  to  subsection  (2)  and  any  limitation  as  may  be prescribed  by  the  Minister,  a  labour  officer  may  exercise  all  the powers conferred upon the Director General by this Act, and every power so exercised shall be deemed to have been exercised for the purposes of this Act.

(2)    A labour officer  shall not exercise any of the powers of the Director  General  under  this  Act  unless  he  is  in  possession  of  an authority  card  signed  by  the  Director  General  authorizing  him  to exercise such powers.

Prosecution

16.  No prosecution for an offence under this Act shall be instituted except by or with the written consent of the Public Prosecutor.

Compounding of offences

17.  (1)  The Director General may, with the consent in writing of the  Public  Prosecutor,  compound  any  offence  committed  by  any employer under this Act which is prescribed to be a compoundable offence by making a written offer to the employer suspected to have committed the offence to compound the offence upon payment to the Director  General  of an  amount  of money  not  exceeding  fifty  per centum of the amount of maximum fine for that offence within the time specified in the offer.

(2)    An offer under subsection (1) may be made at any time after the offence has been committed, but before any prosecution for it has been instituted, and if the amount specified in the offer is not paid within the time specified in the offer or withnin such extended period as the Director General may grant, the prosecution for the offence maybe instituted at anytime after that against the employer to whom the offer was made.

(3)    If an offence has been compounded under subsection (1), no prosecution shall be instituted in respect of the offence against the employer to whom the offer to compound was made.

Exemption

18.  The Minister may, by order published in the  Gazette,  exempt with or without conditions any employer or class of employers from all or any of the provisions of this Act.

Power to make regulation

19.  The Minister may make such regulations as may be necessary and expendient for the purpose of carrying into effect the provisions of this Act.

SCHEDULE (Section 2)

1.      This Act does not apply to—

(a)   a  person  who  is  employed  on a permanent, temporary or contractual basis   and   is   paid   emoluments   by   the   Federal   Government,   the

Government of any State, any statutory body or any local authorities; (b)   a person who works on a probationary term;

(c)   an apprentice who is employed under an apprenticeship contract;

(d)   anon-citizen employee; (e)   a domestic servant;

(f)    a person who is employed in any employment with average hours of work not exceeding seventy percent of the normal hours of work of a full-time employee;

(g)   a student who is employed under any contract for a temporary term of employment but does not include an employee on study leave and an employee who studies on part-time basis;

(h)   a person who is employed on a fixed term contract of service, inclusive of any extension, of not more than twenty four months;

(ha)   a person who is employed on a fixed term contract of service, inclusive

of any extension, of more than twenty four months but not more than sixty months with basic wages of twenty thousand ringgit per month and above; and

(i)    a person who, before the date of coming into operation of this Act, has retired at the age of fifty five years or above and subsequently is re- employed after he has retired.

2.      For  the  purpose  of this  Schedule,  “domestic  servant”  and  “apprenticeship contract”  have  the  meaning  assigned  to  them  in  section  2  of the  Employment Act 1955, the Sabah Labour Ordinance and the Sarawak Labour Ordinance.