Human Resources Minister Sim Chee Keong stated that workplace injury accidents in our country have decreased by 17% over the past 10 years, and the department's vision is to achieve zero workplace accidents.
He said that from 2014 to 2024, workplace injury accidents have decreased by 17%, and workplace fatality rates have dropped by nearly 40%, which is a significant achievement.
“Our vision is zero workplace accidents, and there should be no injuries or fatalities at workplaces. All workers should be safe.”
Sim Chee Keong expressed these views today during his speech at the International Workplace Safety and Health Day 2025 event in Cyberjaya.
He stated that workplace accidents not only cause economic loss, but some serious accidents also claim precious lives. “I have personally visited families and believe these (workplace accidents) must stop; we must be very strict.”
He also said that the business environment should not be a reason to oppress employees. This is the Industrial Court’s ruling and also the department's stance.
He stated that our country submitted the approval documents for the International Labour Organization's Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Convention (also known as C155) as part of the Malaysian government’s initiatives to enhance occupational safety and health, allowing workers the right to isolate themselves from high-risk workplaces.
He said that fines for violating occupational safety and health regulations have been increased from RM50,000 to RM500,000, and companies with more than five employees are required to appoint at least one safety and health coordinator to oversee workplace safety.
He stated that these measures are not punitive in nature but aim to ensure the safety of everyone.
Additionally, responding to claims that artificial intelligence will cause unemployment among high-skilled workers, Sim Chee Keong said that the unemployment rate in our country was 3.1% in February, even lower than during the COVID-19 pandemic, and also mentioned the mismatch between educational skills and employment, which basically relates to our country's economic structure and values.
He said that our country produces 300,000 university graduates each year, one-third of whom are from science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, and 100,000 are graduates of technical and vocational education, while our economy, according to the past 30-year model, can only create 50,000 high-skilled job opportunities annually.
He pointed out that this is also why the government launched the Madani Economy initiative, through “raising the ceiling” and “raising the floor,” and ensuring good governance to improve people's lives.
“Raising the ceiling requires local companies and investments coming to our country to be high-value and high-tech, thereby creating more job opportunities.”
He said this is not a goal that can be achieved overnight; therefore, we must progress towards a higher-value economy, and the workforce must enhance their skills. The government has also allocated substantial funds to provide skill training in hopes of solving employment issues.