Industry Pulse

Stay ahead with curated updates, insights, and trends shaping the industry.

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Negotiation Mastery: Communicating During Disputes

Disputes are an inevitable part of business. The Industrial Relations Act 1967 encourages negotiation, but poor communication often turns minor differences into major trade disputes.

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Handling Misconduct: The Art of the "Due Inquiry"

Terminating an employee for misconduct is one of the highest-risk activities for a manager. The Employment Act 1955 requires a "Due Inquiry" before any punishment—like dismissal or downgrading—can be legally enforced.

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Safety Leadership: It’s Not Just for the OSH Officer

The OSH Act 1994, as updated in 2024, shifts the responsibility for safety from a single individual to every level of management. If you are a department head, safety is now a core performance indicator.

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Modernize Your Training: The ALAT Scheme

Building a dedicated learning space is now more accessible than ever. The enhanced ALAT scheme allows you to utilize your HRDC levy to renovate training rooms and purchase essential training equipment.

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Train-to-Hire: Future Workers Training

The Future Workers Training (FWT) scheme is your strategic "train-to-hire" solution. It enables you to equip potential candidates with exact job-ready skills before they officially join your payroll.

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Scaling Internships: The Enhanced ITS

HRD Corp has overhauled the Industrial Training Scheme (ITS), increasing levy allocation to 50% and extending internship durations to 12 months. It's the perfect time to build your future talent pipeline.

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The First Line of Defense: Conciliation Proceedings

When trade disputes arise, the Industrial Relations Act 1967 favors settlement through conciliation over litigation. Part V of the Act sets the stage for the Director General to act as a mediator.

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Inside the Inspector's Toolkit: OSH Enforcement

To ensure safety standards are maintained, the OSH Act 1994 grants authorized officers extensive powers to enter and inspect places of work. Understanding these powers is crucial for both employers and employees to ensure compliance.

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Understanding Your Pay: Lawful Deductions

Part IV of the Employment Act 1955 establishes strict regulations on how and when an employer can deduct money from an employee’s wages. Transparency in payroll is a legal requirement for all employers.

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Practical Mastery: Utilizing the On-the-Job Training (OJT) Scheme

On-the-Job Training (OJT) is essential for bridging the gap between theory and practice. This scheme allows skilled supervisors to pass on technical knowledge directly to new hires on the factory floor or in the office.

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Flexible Growth: E-Learning Claims Standardized

E-learning is no longer a stopgap measure; it is a permanent fixture in modern corporate training. The latest ACM guidelines have standardized the claiming process for e-learning, making it highly predictable for employers.

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Investing in Expertise: Professional Certification Courses

Professional Certification remains one of the most effective ways to validate workforce expertise. With the updated ACM terms, HRD Corp provides a streamlined path for employers to claim costs for recognized certification programs.

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The Chain of Responsibility: Duties of Principals

The 2024 amendments to the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 clarify that safety responsibility is not limited to direct employees. Section 18A introduces a significant "duty of care" for principals toward contractors.

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Maternity Rights: Legal Safeguards for Female Employees

The Employment Act 1955 provides robust protections for female employees, ensuring that pregnancy and motherhood do not jeopardize their employment security or financial stability.

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Bridging the Talent Gap: Future Workers Training (FWT)

The Future Workers Training (FWT) scheme provides a strategic way for employers to train potential candidates before they officially join the payroll...

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Empowering the Next Generation: The Enhanced Industrial Training Scheme (ITS)

HRD Corp has significantly expanded the support for internships through the Industrial Training Scheme (ITS). Employers can now utilize a much larger portion of their levy...

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Safety by Design: Duties of Plant Manufacturers

Occupational safety in Malaysia begins long before a machine reaches the factory floor. The Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994...

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Strikes and Lock-outs: The "Essential Services" Rules

To protect the public interest, the Industrial Relations Act 1967 imposes strict limitations on industrial actions within "Essential Services."...

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Workplace Integrity: Sexual Harassment Obligations

The Employment Act 1955 includes rigorous provisions under Part XVA to address sexual harassment in the workplace. These laws apply to all...

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Small Businesses and the OSH Coordinator Requirement

A key highlight of the 2024 amendments to the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 is the expansion of safety oversight to smaller workplaces...

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Streamlining Union Representation: Sole Bargaining Rights

The Industrial Relations Act 1967 was recently updated to address the complexities of having multiple trade unions within a single workplace. The introduction...

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Flexible Working: Your Rights Under Part XIIC

The landscape of work in Malaysia underwent a formal shift with the introduction of Part XIIC in the Employment Act 1955. This new provision empowers employees...

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New Standards in Occupational Safety

The Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 (Act 514) establishes a "duty of care" for everyone in the workplace. Recent comprehensive amendments (Act A1648)...

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Industrial Harmony & Dispute Resolution

The Industrial Relations Act 1967 (Act 177) aims to promote and maintain industrial harmony in Malaysia. It regulates the relationship between employers,...

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Minimum Labor Standards: The Employment Act 1955

The Employment Act 1955 (Act 265) is the foundation of labor law in Peninsular Malaysia and Labuan. It sets the mandatory minimum benefits for employees, ensuring they are protected...

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Transforming Internal Learning: The ALAT & CBT Schemes

HRD Corp has overhauled the Training Facilities and Renovation Scheme (ALAT), making it easier for employers to build internal training capacity. The new terms offer...

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Strategic Upskilling: Focus Area & Industry-Specific Courses

To align with national goals, HRD Corp has prioritized "Focus Area" and "Industry-Specific" courses. These categories allow employers to claim training costs...

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HRD Corp ACM : Major Enhancements for Employers

Starting November 1st, 2024, HRD Corp has introduced significant enhancements to the Allowable Cost Matrix (ACM). These changes are designed to provide greater flexibility and financial...

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Enhancements to Allowable Cost Matrix

HRD Corp’s 2024–2025 updates to the Allowable Cost Matrix (ACM) expanded claimable rates, allowances, and training cat...

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Guidelines for Online Training

HRDF’s Online Training Guideline (Version 4.0) consolidates schemes supporting e-learning, mobile learning, and remote online tr...

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HRD Corp Claimable Courses (HCC)

HRD Corp Claimable Courses (HCC) is the main scheme that allows employers to retrain and upgrade ...

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Supporting Documents Required for Smooth HRD Corp Claims

Even when costs fall within ACM ceilings, incomplete or incorrect supporting documents remain one of the ...

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Meal Allowance vs Trainee Allowance: What You Need to Know

Employers can claim only one type of personal allowance for trainees — either meal allowance or trainee (travel) allowance...

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The 75% Attendance Rule and How Claims Are Prorated

One of the most important operational rules under the Allowable Cost Matrix is the 75% attendance requirement...

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How to Use the Allowable Cost Matrix: A 5-Step Guide

The ACM Guidebook provides a simple five-step process that employers and training providers should follow before submitting any grant or claim application...

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Internal, External and Overseas Trainers: What You Can Claim

The Allowable Cost Matrix treats trainers differently depending on whether they are internal company personnel, external local providers or trainers from abroad...

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Focus Area and Industry-Specific Courses under the ACM

Focus Area and Industry-Specific courses receive preferential treatment in the Allowable Cost Matrix...

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Claiming for Local Public Training, Seminars and Conferences

Local public programmes follow a simpler per-pax fee structure under the ACM, with clear ceilings for general courses and...

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Claiming Costs for Overseas Training, Seminars and Conferences

Overseas programmes remain claimable under the ACM, but they operate under tighter financial-assistance rules...

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Key Updates to Course Fees and Allowances

Employer Circular No. 3/2024 and the subsequent ACM revisions significantly raised claimable ceilings to better reflect current training costs and industry needs.

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Essential Rules for Successful HRD Corp Claims

Even when costs fall within ACM ceilings, claims can be rejected or reduced if attendance, allowance or...

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HCC vs SBL: Choosing the Right Scheme for Your Training Claims

HRD Corp offers two primary pathways for claiming training costs—HRD Corp Claimable Courses (HCC) and Skim Bantuan Latihan (SBL)...

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Understanding HRD Corp’s Allowable Cost Matrix for In-House Training

The Allowable Cost Matrix (ACM) sets clear ceilings and eligibility rules for claiming training expenses under HRD Corp schemes...

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Claiming for E-Learning and Remote Online Training

Remote Online Training (ROT) is now treated identically to face-to-face programmes, while pure e-learning follows...

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