Retrenched in Bangsar? Was it fair?
Your Bangsar role was cut while colleagues on similar work stayed.
Where is a Bangsar retrenchment claim heard?
A Bangsar claim is heard at the Industrial Court headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, because the enclave sits inside the city. You start with a written Section 20 representation to the Director General of Industrial Relations.
Once a representation is lodged, your employer must show the retrenchment was genuine and carried out fairly1. You are not the one who has to prove it was not.
How are Bangsar agency and media cuts judged?
Bangsar is an inner city enclave built around professional and creative services, media and advertising agencies, and hospitality, centred on Bangsar Village and Bangsar Shopping Centre. Finance and consulting firms fill much of the rest of the local job market.
Agency work runs on accounts, and losing one can be used to justify a retrenchment even when others on similar work stay on. A fair selection process should explain exactly that gap between who left and who stayed.
What happens after you message?
Send the date you were let go and what the employer told you. An independent employment lawyer serving Bangsar reviews the facts and may reply about whether, and how, they can act.
This route covers every workman, whatever the salary2.
What should you do this week?
Write down what happened at your Bangsar job, in order, with a date for each step. Keep your retrenchment letter, your contract and any account or client records tied to your role.
Read about back wages and compensation, and compare your case with a Mont Kiara worker in a similar role. Then work out your exact deadline from your last working day.
If you were retrenched in Bangsar and doubt the reason or the selection, send the date you were let go and what the employer told you. An independent employment lawyer serving Bangsar may review whether the claim has enough behind 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
My Bangsar agency said the account I worked on just ended. Is that enough reason?
A lost account can be a genuine reason, but it does not excuse an unfair process. If colleagues on similar accounts kept their jobs while you were let go, the selection can still be questioned.
Does my employer have to justify my Bangsar retrenchment, or do I?
Your employer does. Once you show you were retrenched, it falls on them to prove the redundancy was genuine and the selection was fair. You do not have to disprove it first.
I earn a high salary at my Bangsar job. Can I still claim?
Yes. The Section 20 route covers all workmen, including people earning well above the wage limits that apply to some other Employment Act benefits. A high salary does not remove your right to challenge a retrenchment.
Sources
- The burden of proof lies on the employer to show that a dismissal was for just cause and excuse. Mah Weng Kwai & Associates
- The unfair dismissal route under Section 20 covers all workmen, including employees earning above RM4,000 a month, even though some Employment Act benefit provisions are limited by wage. MECA, Industrial Relations Act 1967 Guide
Keep reading
If you were retrenched in Bangsar and doubt the reason or the selection, send the date you were let go and what the employer told you. An independent employment lawyer serving Bangsar may review whether the claim has enough behind 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.