Malaysia: Malaysia has emphasised the need for greater cross-border sharing of ideas, best practices and policies to safeguard workers’ wellbeing at the 7th APEC Human Resources Development Ministerial Meeting (HRDMM), held today in Jeju, South Korea. Human Resources Minister Steven Sim in his address at the meeting reaffirmed that workers’ wellbeing is a critical and non-negotiable component of the Malaysian government’s agenda.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Sim expressed his gratitude for learning from the insights of colleagues in ASEAN and other regions. He mentioned benefiting from the experiences of other member economies in managing policies for platform workers, as he prepares to introduce Malaysia’s historic Gig Workers Bill in the latter half of the year. Sim emphasized the role of platforms like APEC in facilitating the formal exchange of knowledge and practices among member economies.

He also highlighted the significance of a data-driven approach to understanding job market trends. Sim cited a Malaysian impact report that details job types affected in various sectors due to emerging economic trends, which aids the government in crafting more effective policy interventions.

Sim referred to a report by TalentCorp, a strategic think tank under the Ministry of Human Resources, titled “Impact Study of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Digital, and the Green Economy on the Malaysian Workforce.” He pointed out the potential for citizen workers to be replaced not by foreign workers, but by computers and software, many of which are developed domestically.

The minister called for an unwavering commitment to protecting workers’ rights and wellbeing, urging all economies to prioritize these principles even in trade and investment matters. He stressed that business agreements should not compromise workers’ welfare and that economies prioritizing worker protection should not face penalties.

Sim leads the Malaysian delegation to the HRDMM in Jeju, marking the first such meeting in 11 years, with the previous one held in Vietnam in 2014. The meeting coincides with the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Conference, themed “Labour Market Sustainability and Future Work.”