A former human resources minister acted with “clear bias” when he sided with banks against their employees in a dispute over Hari Raya festive aid, the High Court said in a recent judgment....In her grounds of judgment, Aliza found that the minister had descended into the dispute by supporting MCBA’s proposal, thereby violating the trust placed in his office...“The minister’s support demonstrated a clear bias as he had improperly aligned his office with MCBA, thus compromising the role of the ministry as a neutral arbiter,” the judge stated.
Steven Sim was the then Human Resource Minister that the High Court found to be BIASED - and Malaysia does not need any BIASED Minister, as the Minister must always be INDEPENDENT as he/she deals with many disputes. He should not show preferential treatment for anyone during his carrying out of his duties as MINISTER...
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So, after the High Court decision, did Minister Steven Sim apologize and repent his mistake - I have not seen anything of that. If he had apologized sincerely, then Malaysians may consider giving him a 2nd Chance, as he has realized past mistakes...but as there is no apology yet, Steven Sim must honorably resign in view of that High Court decision.
Alternatively, Prime Minister Anwar must remove him from Cabinet. REMEMBER this was a COURT's decision - not simply allegations from some politicians, members of the public, Trade Unions or workers...
IT is the WORST predicament for any MINISTER - to be found to be BIASED by Court. Steven Sim may appeal to the Court of Appeal, and later to the Federal Court - but until this HIGH COURT decision is overturned by any higher court - Steven Sim is a BIASED individual. Worse, even if the decision is OVERRULED later - the finding of BIAS will not be removed. Maybe Steven Sim can file a court case, asking the Court to specifically declare that Steven Sim is NOT a BIAS person?
Steven Sim was Malaysia's Minister of Human Resources from 12 December 2023 – 17 December 2025. Now, since then, he has been the Minister of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development. If the High Court found him to be biased when he was Human Resource Minister, what is there to say he won't be BIASED as a Minister of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development?
Steven Sim is from DAP, a member of Pakatan Harapan. Steven Sim was appointed Penang DAP chairman after the state party elections in September 2024. So, what will DAP and/or Pakatan Harapan do when a member/MP/Minister of the party has been found to be BIASED by the High Court - will Disciplinary Action be taken. If DAP/PH does nothing - will it affect the party itself and the peoples' trust - Is being BIASED not a serious issue? If no action by party, can be assume that the party does not thing that being INDEPENDENT is not an important isssue for DAP/PH - thus, should we then consider any/all candidates of these parties in future elections also may not be INDEPENDENT or possibly biased? Do we want such MPs/ADUNs? So, pressure on DAP and/or PH on what to do when a MP(in this case a Minister) is found to be biased by the HIGH Court???
Many Minister's decision have been subjected to Judicial Review, and the outcome has been the overulling of the Minister's decision - on the basis whether the decision was lawful, rational, procedurally fair, and within the decision-maker’s power. It is rare that the court explicitly finds that the MINISTER was biased. Thus, this High Court decision was important.
Worse this case was a matter between employers and workers(noting that the majority of voters are workers in Malaysia) - thus, how this decision is responded by the Prime Minister(who decides who sits in the Cabinet as Ministers/Deputy Ministers, whereby the PM also has the power to remove any member of the Cabinet at any time), and by the political party (who picks the candidates to contest as MP/ADUN - so, reputation of the party is also at stake when they are found picking candidates, who end up being found to be BIASED, in this case against workers).
My hope is Minister Steven Sim best apologize, and assure people that henceforth he will act INDEPENDENTLY, and never again be BIASED in favour of any person/entity - and then he honourably resign from Cabinet, rather than be 'expelled' from Cabinet...
All we have had to rely on to date has been Media Reports - we have yet to see the Court's judgment, which will be available later on. Media, generally is careful, and will not report things which the Judge never said...
When Steven Sim became Human Resource Minister, what REFORMS did he bring?
MINIMUM WAGE - It was most disappointing that 'effective February 1, 2025, Malaysia’s national minimum wage is RM1,700 per month for all sectors, rising from RM1,500 - thus falling short of the Malaysian Central Bank's 2017 report that had proposed a living wage of RM2,700 for single persons living in urban areas, RM4,500 for couples without children, and RM6,500 for couples with two children. Since that report, the cost of living had increased - and now much more is needed. SO, when Steven Sim increased the Minimum Wage by just RM200, it was absurd - was he also biased in favour of employers, not bothered with the reality of Malaysian workers??
In some countries, MINIMUM wage is set differently based on urban/rural or different regions, taking into account the cost of living in that area. So, in places with a HIGHER cost of living, the minimum wages are HIGHER compared to other places where the cost of living is lower.
The other problem is when one sets a common Minimum Wage for all employers - ignoring that some big companies can afford it > but it is really UNFAIR to insist that market vegetable seller or a small food stall operator also to pay the same MINIMUM WAGE.
This Minimum Wage applies immediately to employers with 5+ employees and all professional sectors, with a phased rollout for smaller businesses by August 1, 2025. Would it not have been more JUST to have a higher Minimum Wage, which applies ONLY to businesses which showed a profit of more than RM100,000, with more than 5 employees, professional sectors. And a different minimum wage for them smaller employers, who sometimes make profits of less than RM50,000 & whereby for this category, it should also allow maybe 'profit-sharing' schemes which is just for employer and owner of businesses.
BUT yet again, when Steven Sim was MInister, the Minimum Wage was set at a miserably low figure of RM1,700. Sime Darby Property Bhd's move to raise the minimum living wage for its B40 employees by 80 per cent, from RM1,500 to RM2,700 per month in 2024... On May 1, Khazanah Nasional Bhd, Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB), the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), Kumpulan Wang Persaraan (KWAP), Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera and Lembaga Tabung Haji announced a RM3,100 living wage policy for all their permanent Malaysian employees. Was this move by some of these companies, and some government linked entities to set a HIGHER Minimum Wage a protest against HR Minister who set minimum wage at RM1,700???
Citing EPF's Belanjawanku guide, he noted that a single person in the Klang Valley typically needs RM2,800 monthly, while a family with one child may need over RM6,400.
One big problem at many workplaces was the growing usage of non-employees (supplied workers from Labour Suppliers/Contractors for Labour) and the outsourcing of work at the factory to other companies - RESULT is that UNION's powers decrease with the reduction of employees of the Principal/Owner of Workplace > the solution is SIMPLE, all that the HR Minister needed to do was to issue an order under the employment Act, transforming all workers working at any workplaces into EMPLOYEES of the owner/principal of the workplace. Minister Steven Sim did not do this.
Then, with Migrant Workers - currently they are under both the HR Ministry and the Immigration Department(Home Ministry) - and the Immigration Department just deports workers if and when the employment permit lapses, totally not considering whether there are still UNRESOLVED worker claims against employer, or whether any Claims have been lodged at the Labour Department - so migrant workers forced to leave Malaysia with no ability to claim for rights violation outside Malaysia. The solution is SIMPLE - that no worker is sent out of Malaysia, or deported UNTIL the HR Ministry investigates that there are no outstanding worker claims against employer > thus MIGRANT workers should rightfully come under the HR Ministry.
FORCED LABOUR is a major issue - but some laws are there, but NOT enough. Who investigates FORCED LABOUR and enforces the law. For Occupational Safety and Health, a report will get the Ministry to investigate and take action. Similar mechanisms need to be put in place for FORCED LABOUR... Steven Sim failed to deal with this.
Still NO clear law about Employers having to PAY all recruitment fee, formal and informal - that be the ILO position - EMPLOYER pays - but where is the law?
All in all, Steven Sim comes out as BAD Human Resource Minister, especially for workers...?
Now, we have a new Human Resource Minister in R. Ramanan (Ramanan Ramakrishnan)( From Anwar's PKR party) appointed on December 17, 2025 - will he be BETTER?
Was it Steven Sim's 'pro-employer bias' that made PM ANWAR remove him as HR Minister?
Ex-HR minister acted with ‘clear bias’ in banks vs NUBE dispute, High Court finds
KUALA LUMPUR, March 17 — A former human resources minister acted with “clear bias” when he sided with banks against their employees in a dispute over Hari Raya festive aid, the High Court said in a recent judgment.
Judge Datuk Aliza Sulaiman said the minister compromised his office’s neutrality by giving “time and input” to the Malayan Commercial Banks’ Association (MCBA) while the dispute was still under a supposedly impartial conciliation process, the New Straits Times reported.
The dispute began after banks, represented by the MCBA, declined to pay a one-month festive aid to members of the National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE) for Hari Raya in 2024, despite a prior agreement.
The banks instead offered a reduced one-off payment, which the union rejected.
The matter was brought for conciliation, but the minister later referred the case to the Industrial Court, a decision NUBE challenged via a judicial review.
In her grounds of judgment, Aliza found that the minister had descended into the dispute by supporting MCBA’s proposal, thereby violating the trust placed in his office.
“The minister’s support demonstrated a clear bias as he had improperly aligned his office with MCBA, thus compromising the role of the ministry as a neutral arbiter,” the judge stated.
The court found that the minister had “subverted the statutory process designed for impartial resolution” and that his decision to refer the dispute to the Industrial Court was “tainted with unreasonableness.”
It also held that the minister had failed to properly consider the internal dispute resolution mechanism available under the parties’ collective agreement.
The court awarded RM10,000 in costs to NUBE. The judgment, dated Feb 23, did not name the minister involved, who has since taken over another portfolio.
MCBA has since filed a notice of appeal against the decision.
Lawyers Ravi Nekoo and Arvin Kumar Mohan represented NUBE, while Sivabalah Nadarajah and Chua Kim Lin appeared for MCBA. - Malay Mail, 17/3/2026
Ex-HR minister biased in bank festive aid dispute, court rules
High Court says then minister Steven Sim compromised the statutory process for impartial resolution and violated the objectives of the Industrial Relations Act 1967 in 2024.
Justice Aliza Sulaiman said that by doing so, then minister Steven Sim had stepped into the dispute and appeared to support the Malayan Commercial Banks’ Association’s proposal on the ex-gratia festive aid payment for 2024.
“The minister’s conduct demonstrated clear bias, as he improperly aligned his office with the association, thereby compromising the role of the ministry as a neutral arbiter,” she said in allowing a judicial review application by the National Union of Bank Employees.
Aliza said she had scrutinised circulars and statements, particularly those issued by Hong Leong Bank, Maybank and United Overseas Bank.
She found that although the minister denied any “secret meeting” with the association, he had evidently engaged with it to discuss the festive aid issue while the matter was undergoing conciliation at the industrial relations department.
In her judgment, Aliza said the minister had broken the trust placed in his office by getting involved in the dispute and supporting the association.
“The minister subverted the statutory process designed for impartial resolution and violated the objectives of the Industrial Relations Act 1967,” she said.
She added the minister had demonstrated bias and that his decision to refer the trade dispute to the Industrial Court was tainted by unreasonableness.
The dispute over festive aid followed unsuccessful conciliation efforts by the industrial relations department in February and March 2024, leading to the case’s referral on April 16 the same year.
The union filed the judicial review to challenge whether the minister’s referral to the Industrial Court complied with Section 26(3) of the Industrial Relations Act, which requires the minister to first consider available internal mechanisms.
The union had sought a one-month payment for 2024, consistent with previous years, but the association refused, prompting industrial action.
The association then referred the matter for conciliation with the department. However, the minister is said to have met with association representatives, following which the association agreed to pay a half-month bonus.
Lawyers N Sivabalah and Chua Kim Lin appeared for the association, while Ravi Nekoo and Arvin Kumar Mohan represented the union.
Ravi said the minister and the association has filed an appeal. - FMT, 17/3/2026
Sime Darby Property sets new wage benchmark
KUALA LUMPUR: Sime Darby Property Bhd's move to raise the minimum living wage for its B40 employees by 80 per cent, from RM1,500 to RM2,700 per month in 2024, could set a new benchmark for the private sector, economists say.
Economist Dr Geoffrey Williams described the initiative as a positive step, even if it falls short of the RM3,100 monthly living wage recommended by Bank Negara Malaysia and government-linked investment companies (GLICs).
On May 1, Khazanah Nasional Bhd, Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB), the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), Kumpulan Wang Persaraan (KWAP), Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera and Lembaga Tabung Haji announced a RM3,100 living wage policy for all their permanent Malaysian employees.
The policy is part of the Finance Ministry's GEAR-uP initiative, which aims to align GLIC efforts to boost growth in key sectors.
"The six GLICs have committed to the RM3,100 living wage in line with the Belanjawanku and Bank Negara estimates. So the RM2,700 is a little below that but still a good threshold," Williams told Business Times.
Williams added that the decision reflects the ability of large companies, particularly government-linked companies and GLICs, to increase base pay for lower-income workers.
"This is a good move that will clearly help their lower-paid staff. However, they should disclose how many people will benefit," he said.
As of Feb 1, the national minimum wage in Malaysia stands at RM1,700 for all employees in businesses with five or more staff, as well as those under the MASCO (Malaysia SME and Small to Medium Enterprises) sector. Employers with fewer than five workers have until Aug 1 to comply.
Putra Business School economic analyst Prof Dr Ahmed Razman Abdul Latiff praised the move by Sime Darby Property, noting that the RM2,700 wage is close to the national median income level.
Razman said this has wider implications than just simply providing better financial support, as higher wages mean the workers will have a higher contribution to their Employees Provident Fund (EPF) account, which subsequently will help them to have a higher quality of life after retirement.
"This decision should be emulated by other large corporations, especially for those hiring many workers who live in urban areas.
"It will also reduce the salary inequality between top bosses and their workers, where the gap is currently increasing," he told the Business Times.
Meanwhile, Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said the decision could set a new benchmark and attract talent in a competitive labour market.
Citing the trend in the labour markets, Afzanizam said the own-account workers (OAW) have been growing quite persistently at 2.9 per cent per annum between 2019 and 2024 to 3.1 million.
"With youth increasingly turning to gig work and self-employment, substantial wage increases can help address labour shortages, though benefits like flexible hours and career development are also key," he said.
Afzanizam added that while RM2,700 is a good start, the adequacy of income depends on location and family size.
Citing EPF's Belanjawanku guide, he noted that a single person in the Klang Valley typically needs RM2,800 monthly, while a family with one child may need over RM6,400.
"Hence, we need to understand that salaries should reflect the skillset and qualification but at the same time, real income, which will consider the cost of living, also matters. This may require different policies and approaches in order to ensure that the cost of living will remain manageable," he said.
Meanwhile, Sime Darby Property chairman Datuk Rizal Rickman Ramli said the wage adjustment took into account the increased cost of living and aimed to provide better financial support for lower-income employees.
"This initiative highlights our commitment to financial stability and the well-being of our workforce, particularly those most impacted by rising living costs," he said in the group's integrated annual report 2024.
As of March 28, Sime Darby Property's major shareholders included PNB's unit Amanah Saham Bumiputera with a 36.73 per cent stake, EPF with 11.08 per cent, KWAP with 6.25 per cent and PNB with 5.23 per cent. NST, 6/6/2025
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