Which Office Handles Your Problem?
Unpaid wages and an unfair dismissal claim go to two different government departments.
Many workers assume one government office handles every workplace complaint. In Malaysia, unpaid wages and unfair dismissal follow two separate routes.
What does JTKSM handle?
JTKSM, the Jabatan Tenaga Kerja Semenanjung Malaysia, is Peninsular Malaysia’s Labour Department. It enforces statutory entitlements under the Employment Act 1955.
That includes unpaid salary, notice pay, overtime and other benefits the law provides, whether or not your dismissal was fair.
How is that different from JPPM?
JPPM, the Department of Industrial Relations, handles a different question: whether your dismissal had just cause or excuse. That claim runs under Section 20 of the Industrial Relations Act.
Since 2023, Employment Act coverage reaches all employees in Peninsular Malaysia and Labuan regardless of wage.1 That is still a separate track from an unfair dismissal claim.
Which one applies to your situation?
If your employer never paid your final salary or notice, that is a JTKSM matter. If you believe you were dismissed without a fair reason, that goes to JPPM.
Some situations involve both. Each is pursued through its own filing, not a single combined complaint.
Does this affect Sabah or Sarawak workers?
JTKSM does not operate there. Sabah and Sarawak each have their own labour department, working under their state’s own Labour Ordinance rather than the Employment Act.
An unfair dismissal claim in either state still goes through JPPM and the Industrial Court, as anywhere else in Malaysia.
What should you do this week?
Write down what you are owed and, separately, what you believe was unfair about your dismissal. The two often need different evidence and different offices.
If you are claiming unfair dismissal, check your deadline now, since a written representation must reach the Director General within 60 days.2
If you are unsure which route fits, an independent employment lawyer can review the facts and reply about whether and how they can act.
If you are unsure whether you have an unfair dismissal claim or a wages claim, send what happened. An independent employment lawyer can review it and act on whichever route fits.
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 am owed unpaid salary. Do I go to JTKSM or JPPM?
Unpaid wages is a statutory money claim, handled by JTKSM, the Labour Department. JPPM handles unfair dismissal claims instead. If your case involves both, you may need to approach each department separately.
Can JTKSM help me get my job back?
No. JTKSM deals with money owed under the Employment Act, like unpaid wages or notice pay. Reinstatement or a finding of unfair dismissal is JPPM and the Industrial Court's role, not JTKSM's.
Does JTKSM cover Sabah and Sarawak too?
No. JTKSM operates in Peninsular Malaysia and Labuan. Sabah and Sarawak have their own labour departments, working under each state's own Labour Ordinance instead.
If I was dismissed and also owed notice pay, can I claim both at once?
Not through one filing. Your unfair dismissal claim goes to JPPM under Section 20, while unpaid notice or other statutory entitlements are pursued separately through JTKSM.
Sources
- The Employment Act 1955 amendments came into force on 1 January 2023, extending statutory coverage to all employees in Peninsular Malaysia and Labuan regardless of wage. Malay Mail, Employment Act 1955 amendment 2022
- An employee who considers they were dismissed without just cause or excuse may make a written representation to the Director General of Industrial Relations, asking to be reinstated, within 60 days of the dismissal. Mah Weng Kwai & Associates, Unfair Dismissal
Keep reading
If you are unsure whether you have an unfair dismissal claim or a wages claim, send what happened. An independent employment lawyer can review it and act on whichever route fits.
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.