KUALA LUMPUR, March 29: The appointment of two new chairpersons on a contract basis for the Industrial Court of Malaysia (MPM) and Labour Court is expected to ease the number of backlog cases in the two courts.
Human Resources Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong handed over the appointment letters today to Chow Siew Lin,59, and Pravin Kaur Jessey, 52, both women, with vast experience in the area of industrial relations and labour laws.
The MPM tribunal is the sole body tasked with deciding on cases that involve termination from work, collective agreements, disputes involving trade unions, and disputes between employers and employees.
The court was formed under the Industrial Relations Act 1967.
One of the Key Performance Index for the Human Resources Ministry under the MADANI government’s strategic plans involve the reformation of the Industrial Court and the Labour Court.
The new appointments are expected to reduce the time in the management and judgement on cases, cut down on the backlog of cases and improving the facilities at both the courts.
The appointment of the two women, made in conjunction with the celebration of Women’s Day on March 8, also reflects the importance the Human Resources Ministry gives to the role women play in the field of industrial laws and justices, a press statement released by the ministry today said.
Apart from increasing the prominence of women in the Industrial Court, the appointment of Pravin Kaur is also a historic moment, being the first woman from the Sikh community to be appointed as a chairman of the MPM.
— WE