KUALA LUMPUR: Fewer cases were referred to the Industrial Court this year.

Human Resources Ministry Industrial Relations Department deputy director-general Mohd Jeffrey Joakim said the department had referred only 432 cases to the Industrial Court since January.

Last year, 1,842 cases were referred to the Industrial Court and 2,954 cases in 2006.

Meanwhile, Human Resources Minister Datuk S. Subramaniam said yesterday that the ministry wanted to reduce the backlog of cases in the Industrial Court.

"We are serious in wanting to increase the number of cases solved so that those involved should only wait for a maximum of two years from the time the case was received."
He had earlier chaired a meeting attended by representatives of the Malaysian Employers Federation, Malaysian Trades Union Congress, the Bar Council and the ministry.

Bar Council Industrial Court practice committee deputy chairman Anand Ponnudurai lauded the ministry's efforts to help the Industrial Court become a more efficient body.

"One step is the deployment of more administrative staff -- assistant registrars and interpreters -- to the court as soon as possible."