Following the announcement of the 15th General Election, many have been frantically preparing for the upcoming voting day.
Malaysians are being called back to their hometowns this 19 November to vote.
Photo via MySPR Semak
Some people are in a quandary because they are afraid that their employer will penalize them for not showing up to work.
However, on Thursday (10 October), the Human Resources Minister, Datuk Seri M. Saravanan announced that private-sector employers are NOT ALLOWED to penalize their employees for failing to show up for work on election day.
“Employers are bound to subsection 25(1) of the Election Offences Act 1954, which says that every employer must provide time off for employees to exercise their rights.”
He added that employers who violate such rules may be fined and if found guilty, they may be fined up to RM5,000 or sentenced to up to a year in jail.
Datuk M. Saravanan also stated that employees who need to travel for more than a day may take advantage of annual leave.
Meanwhile, some states in Malaysia like Selangor, Penang and Negeri Sembilan had declared Friday (18 November) a public holiday in hopes of encouraging Malaysians to return to their hometown to vote.
Balik kampung safely, guys and remember to vote wisely! In case you don’t know what you should do or bring before the elections, here’s a quick video to guide you:
By: Aishah Akashah Ahadiat
