Dismissed in Kuching? Check Your Claim
You worked in an office, hotel or shop in Kuching, and the job has ended.
Kuching is the Sarawak capital, a services, administration and tourism centre known for the Waterfront and the state legislative assembly. Vivacity Megamall and the surrounding retail belt employ a large share of workers.
For entitlement questions, the Sarawak Labour Ordinance applies. Unfair dismissal claims follow the same Industrial Relations Act 1967 process as the rest of Malaysia.
Who works in Kuching
Services and administrative staff are a large share of local employment. Many work for government-linked bodies or larger corporate offices, where HR processes can be more formal.
Tourism workers around the Waterfront are a second group. Some face shift cuts or terminations tied to slower travel seasons, which deserve closer documentation.
Oil and gas support staff make up the rest, often on contract terms. A project ending can be used to explain what is really a targeted dismissal.
Where is a Kuching case heard?
Conciliation runs through Sarawak’s JPPM office, and the Industrial Court has a branch in Kuching.2 JPPM tells you which Industrial Court branch hears the case.
A written representation must reach the Director General within 60 days of your dismissal.1 The deadline calculator works out your exact date.
Do I need to check two laws?
Sarawak’s Labour Ordinance runs alongside the Industrial Relations Act, so a Kuching worker may need to check two frameworks, not one.
Kuching is the seat of state government, so it has many statutory bodies and government-linked companies. These tend to follow written procedures more closely than smaller private firms.
What should you keep before you act?
Ask for your termination letter or any budget cut notice in writing, and keep your appointment letter with it. A spoken explanation in a meeting is easy to dispute later.
Save emails or memos about organisational changes. They can show whether a stated reason was decided before or after your case came up.
Documenting the reason you were given against what was recorded in any HR paperwork helps show whether a dismissal had genuine cause.
If you want a lawyer to act, request lawyer contact first; only after an identified independent lawyer has contacted you and specifically requested the material, send your dismissal date and the termination letter directly to that lawyer. They can review them and reply about whether and how they can act.
If you want an employment lawyer to take your Kuching dismissal on, send the date and what happened. An independent lawyer serving Kuching may review the facts and reply about whether and how 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 work near Vivacity Megamall and was dismissed without warning. Does the usual process apply in Sarawak?
Section 20 protection still applies here, and your entitlements also sit alongside the Sarawak Labour Ordinance. The Industrial Court has a branch in Kuching, and JPPM tells you which Industrial Court branch will hear it.
My employer near the Waterfront said tourism was slow and ended my contract. What should I check?
A genuine downturn can be a valid reason, but keep your contract and any message about the decision. Whether similar roles continued matters.
A government linked office near the legislative assembly cited budget cuts. Does that change anything?
A budget cut can be a genuine reason, but the process leading up to your termination still needs to be fair. Ask for the reason in writing if you have not already received it.
Where does a Kuching case actually get heard?
A Kuching claim runs through Sarawak's JPPM conciliation process, and JPPM tells you which Industrial Court branch will hear it if it does not settle. The deadline calculator confirms your filing date.
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
- The Industrial Court sits at its Kuala Lumpur headquarters with branches including Penang, Ipoh, Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching. Mahkamah Perusahaan Malaysia, contact
Keep reading
If you want an employment lawyer to take your Kuching dismissal on, send the date and what happened. An independent lawyer serving Kuching may review the facts and reply about whether and how 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.