Employers must give staff time off to vote under law

PETALING JAYA: It is an offence for employers to not give staff time off to vote on May 9 in the 14th General Election.
In fact, employers should help facilitate the employees to exercise their rights to vote, Malaysian Trade Union Congress president Datuk Abdul Halim Mansor said.
He said the employers must respect and provide necessary facilities like transportation and also provide unrecorded leave for voters outside the district.
"Employers should discuss with the workers on how to organise work operations on polling day to allow time for voting so that it does not affect the productivity of the company," Abdul Halim told theSun.
- Section 25 of the Election Offences Act 1954 states that an employer must give sufficient time for employees to perform their duties as voters on polling day, failing which the employer shall be liable to a RM5,000 fine or a maximum of one-year imprisonment.
- Employers cannot penalise an employee through any deduction from the pay or other remuneration during the period that the employee has gone to vote.