Many have come to clarify with me, “Aunty, people tell me if my salary is above RM5K, I cannot go to JTK, need to hire lawyer. Is it true?”
No, no, no, no, no… well, not anymore, anyway.
Begitu cerita dia.
JTK (Jabatan Tenaga Kerja) or Department of Labour in Malaysia, serves as the enforcement body for our labour laws, specifically:
• Employment Act 1955 – Peninsular Malaysia & Labuan
• Sabah Labour Ordinance – Sabah
• Sarawak Labour Ordinance – Sarawak
Previously, for the laws above, there was a salary threshold. If your salary exceeded that limit (RM2,000 for Peninsular Malaysia & Labuan, RM2,500 for East Malaysia except Labuan), your rights were based on your contract and no protection from the Acts.
Then came a 1988 amendment, allowing labour disputes for salaries up to RM5K to be heard by the Director of General of JTK to resolve cases more cheaply and quickly.
And that was how that 2K/5K story came about and stayed in circulation.
Fast forward to today, the government lifted the salary threshold for Peninsular & Labuan on 1 January 2023, and for Sabah & Sarawak on 1 May 2025 (oh yes, baru-baru je).
Which means that now, ALL employees in Malaysia , as long as you’re a contract of service hire, are protected by your region’s labour laws, regardless of how much you earn.
Macam tu lah.
And yes, JTK offices nationwide are going to get very busy 😅
Hope that clarifies!
xoxoxo, AuntyHR
