Dismissed in Sarawak? Speak to a lawyer
Your Sarawak job ended and you are deciding whether a lawyer should act.
Sarawak’s economy spreads across oil and gas processing in Bintulu, the timber trade centred on Sibu, and services and administration in Kuching. Samalaju’s industrial park further along the coast adds a fourth kind of workplace.
One court handles claims from all of them.
Where is a Sarawak case heard?
A Sarawak claim goes to the Industrial Court, and JPPM confirms which branch hears it. A worker from Bintulu or Sibu starts the same way as one from Kuching.
Conciliation is arranged once a written representation is lodged, and solicitors may not represent either party at that meeting2.
How do Sarawak oil, timber and services jobs differ?
LNG and industrial roles around Bintulu, timber trading in Sibu, and administrative or government linked work in Kuching each meet different kinds of endings. The same test applies to all of them.
A written representation must reach the Director General within 60 days of dismissal1. That applies wherever in the state the job was based.
When should you bring in a lawyer?
Talk to someone before you sign a settlement or an exit form, because signing first closes some options. That is true whether the role sits in Bintulu’s industrial zone, a Sibu trading office or Kuching.
Send the date you were dismissed and what happened. An independent employment lawyer serving Sarawak reviews the facts and may reply about whether, and how, they can act.
What should you do this week?
Write down your last working day, the reason given and a short timeline of what led up to it. Keep your contract, payslips and any written notice.
Read about retrenchment in Kuching or in Miri if your job was in one of those cities, and message while your window is still open.
If you want a lawyer to act on a dismissal, send the date you were dismissed and what happened. An independent employment lawyer serving Sarawak may review the facts and tell you whether they can act on it.
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 work for an LNG contractor in Bintulu and was dismissed after a project delay. Should I get advice before signing an exit form?
Yes. Advice before signing leaves more room to act than advice afterwards. A project delay can be genuine, but the exit form you are asked to sign may give up more than the situation requires.
My employer in Sibu is a timber trading company. Does that industry change my rights?
No. The timber trade in Sibu follows the same dismissal process as any other Sarawak employer. What matters is your employment status and how your role ended.
Do I need to be in Kuching to start speaking to a lawyer?
No. A first conversation about a Sarawak job can start with a message from Bintulu, Sibu or anywhere else in the state. Kuching only matters once a hearing is scheduled.
Sources
- A worker dismissed without just cause or excuse may make a written representation to the Director General of Industrial Relations seeking reinstatement within 60 days of the dismissal under Section 20 of the Industrial Relations Act 1967. Mah Weng Kwai & Associates
- After a representation is lodged the Department of Industrial Relations arranges conciliation, and solicitors are not permitted to represent the parties at that conciliation stage. Mah Weng Kwai & Associates
Keep reading
If you want a lawyer to act on a dismissal, send the date you were dismissed and what happened. An independent employment lawyer serving Sarawak may review the facts and tell you whether they can act on it.
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.