Dismissed in Johor? Start at JPPM
You work in Johor, perhaps crossing into Singapore daily, and want to know where to start.
Many Johor workers cross into Singapore daily, while their employment stays governed by Malaysian law if it is based in Johor.
What does JPPM handle across Johor?
This office receives written representations from workers employed anywhere in the state, then arranges conciliation between them and their employer.
That covers electronics and manufacturing plants around Johor Bahru, logistics firms tied to the border crossings, and multinational and creative employers clustered in Iskandar Puteri.
Does cross border work change anything?
What decides jurisdiction is where your employment is based, not where your daily tasks take you. A Johor based contract stays under Malaysian law and this office’s process.
So the conciliation process is the same for a cross border commuter as for a worker who never leaves Johor Bahru.
What happens at conciliation?
An officer meets you and your employer to see whether a settlement is possible. Solicitors are not permitted to represent either side inside that meeting itself.1
Many workers still speak to a lawyer beforehand, so they know what a fair settlement might look like before the session starts.
How did your case reach this office?
Conciliation follows a written representation to the Director General of Industrial Relations, filed within 60 days of your dismissal.2 You can check your exact deadline if that date is recent.
If conciliation does not resolve your dispute, it moves to the Industrial Court for a formal hearing, and JPPM confirms the branch (Johor Bahru has a branch).
What should you prepare?
Bring your contract, your dismissal letter and a clear written timeline of what happened, including any warning letters your employer relied on.
If you want a lawyer’s help before conciliation, send your industry and dismissal date. An independent employment lawyer can review the facts and reply about whether and how they can act.
If your work was based in Johor and you want a lawyer's help with your claim, send your industry and dismissal date. An independent employment lawyer can review whether they can act.
For people seeking legal representation. For general information, please use our guides and tools.
First contact: general facts only, such as date, location, employment status and a short summary. Keep documents private until an identified independent lawyer contacts you and specifically requests them.
Common questions
I cross into Singapore for part of my job. Which JPPM office handles my claim?
The office covering where your employment is based in Johor, since that is what determines jurisdiction, not the border you cross to do the work itself.
Does a multinational employer in Iskandar Puteri get treated differently at conciliation?
No. The process is identical whatever the size or origin of your employer. An officer arranges the same meeting and follows the same rules for every case in Johor.
My dismissal happened at a manufacturing plant in Johor Bahru. Is the process different?
No. Johor has a strong manufacturing and logistics base, and factory dismissals follow the same conciliation process as office dismissals from the state's corporate hubs.
What happens after conciliation if my Johor case does not settle?
It is referred directly to the Industrial Court, and JPPM confirms which branch hears it, with no separate ministerial approval step left to wait for since a 2020 amendment to the law.
Sources
- At conciliation before the Industrial Relations Department, solicitors are not permitted to represent either party inside the meeting itself. Mah Weng Kwai & Associates, Unfair Dismissal
- An employee who considers they were dismissed without just cause or excuse may make a written representation to the Director General of Industrial Relations within 60 days of the dismissal, and this filing is what brings a case to conciliation. Mah Weng Kwai & Associates, Unfair Dismissal
Keep reading
If your work was based in Johor and you want a lawyer's help with your claim, send your industry and dismissal date. An independent employment lawyer can review whether they can act.
For people seeking legal representation. For general information, please use our guides and tools.
First contact: general facts only, such as date, location, employment status and a short summary. Keep documents private until an identified independent lawyer contacts you and specifically requests them.