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21st April, 2010
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah employers have been told not to hire children and those found doing so will be prosecuted under the Labour Ordinance.
Under the law, a child is someone who is below the age of 15.
The law allows for children to work only for family providing it is not more than six hours a day and not from 8pm and 7am the next day.
Also, the task must not be beyond their capability and if they are students, they must not be asked to work during the school hours and not more than seven hours.
“And, a child must also be given a break of 30 minutes after three hours of working,” State Labour Department’s director Siti Aishah Mohd Asri said in a statement here yesterday.
The statement was issued following public complaints about the employment of children in the state
Siti Aishah also said the employment of young persons must be in accordance with Section 72 of the Labour Ordinance.
A young person is someone who is between the age of 15 and 18.
“Young persons are only allowed to work in a shop, office, hotel, factory and workshop and as domestic helpers, among others.
“But a female young person, cannot be hired to work in a hotel, restaurant or a club not operated by her family,” Siti Aishah added.
She also said a young person is not allowed to work between 8pm and 6am the next day and exceeding seven hours a day.
“And a 30-minute break is a must after four hours,” she said.
Siti Aishah said they were monitoring and carrying out strict enforcement against employers who hire children and young persons.
She also said that an additional provision has been included in the Labour Ordinance to deal with the matter.
Meanwhile, Siti Aishah said throughout last year, her department took action against 11 employers – four were charged and the remaining seven were fined a total of RM19,400.
The labour department director also said an offender is liable to a fine not exceeding RM10,000 or a jail term of not more than two years or both in the event of conviction under 130F of the Labour Ordinance.
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