BUTTERWORTH: Any employer in Penang found to have forced their employees to take annual leave or cut their wages following a temporary stoppage of operations due to a scheduled water supply disruption from Jan 10 may be subjected to action under the Employment Act 1955.
Human Resources Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong said the employee involved could submit a complaint to the Department of Labour for further action.
He said employers, who are unsure about the matter, could refer to the department for advice and guidance before making any decision.
"What is important here is that the employers cannot force their employees to take leave or cut the employees' salary arbitrarily.
"They can consult with the department to get guidance and advice before implementing (any) policy.
"If it is found that there are employers who fail to comply with the prescribed rules, they can be subjected to action under the Employment Act 1955," he told reporters when asked on allegations that workers in the manufacturing sector were asked to use ther annual leave on the grounds that the factory would be temporarily ceasing operations due to the water supply disruption from Jan 10-14.
The Employment Act 1955 provides for a fine of up to RM50,000 if the employer is found to be in breach of the prescribed rules.
He was met during his inaugural visit to Wisma Perkeso Penang in Seberang Jaya here today as the Human Resources Minister.
Present were Perkeso chairman Datuk Seri Subhan Kamal and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed.
At the ceremony, 10 contributors received various benefits, including permanent disability and disability pension.
It was reported that the majority of the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) Penang chapter members' factories would cease operations for the first two days of the scheduled water supply disruption, which would take place from Jan 10-14.
FMM Penang chapter chairman Datuk Seri Lee Teong Li said this was based on feedback received from members' factories, including small and medium enterprises (SME), through a survey.
He said they were left with no choice but to temporarily halt operations as they were highly dependent on water supply for their processes and productions, especially in food production and processing, chemicals industries, plating, metal polishing and others.
He added that while factories had to store water supply for 48 hours, the water supply was only for normal use and not the daily operations.