What The Sabah Labour Ordinance Covers
You work in Sabah and want to know which law sets your basic rights.
In Sabah, the Labour Ordinance does the job that the Employment Act does in Peninsular Malaysia.
What it means
It sets baseline entitlements such as notice and leave for workers in Sabah. The Employment Act covers Peninsular Malaysia and Labuan.
The two laws differ in detail, so a figure you read about the Employment Act may not apply the same way in Sabah.
Why it matters to you
If your dispute is about an entitlement such as notice pay, check it against this Ordinance, not the Employment Act.
Unfair dismissal works differently: the Industrial Relations Act and Section 20 give a nationwide protection that applies in Sabah as it does elsewhere.
How does this differ from the Employment Act
Treat any figure you have read as a starting point and confirm it against this Ordinance before relying on it.
Notice period and termination benefits explain the general ideas, but the exact rules come from the statute for your state.
For an unfair dismissal claim itself, check your 60-day window on the deadline calculator, since that timeline applies the same way across Malaysia.
If you were dismissed in Sabah and want a lawyer to act, send the date and what happened. An independent employment lawyer can review whether it is a case they can take on.
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
Does the Employment Act apply to me if I work in Sabah?
The Employment Act applies to Peninsular Malaysia and Labuan. Sabah has its own Labour Ordinance with similar entitlements, so that is the statute for workers there.
Does working in Sabah change my right to challenge an unfair dismissal?
No. The Industrial Relations Act and the Section 20 unfair dismissal process apply nationwide, so this protection is not affected by which state you work in.
Keep reading
If you were dismissed in Sabah and want a lawyer to act, send the date and what happened. An independent employment lawyer can review whether it is a case they can take on.
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.