THE Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) has escalated criticism of Human Resources Minister Steven Sim, accusing him of misusing government resources to exclude MTUC from the 113th International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva, June 2-13, 2025.
MTUC’s J Solomon claims Sim deliberately blocked worker representation to avoid scrutiny of Malaysia’s labor laws, which allegedly violate ILO Convention 98.
“The fact remains that the minister has failed to ensure that Malaysian workers’ representatives were registered at the 113th International Labour Conference (ILC),” Solomon said in a statement today.
According to the MTUC, the minister’s actions were designed to sidestep scrutiny of Malaysia’s labor laws, which the report allegedly highlights as flawed, particularly in terms of anti-union discrimination and other shortcomings.
Additionally, Solomon asserted that if Sim were “sincere” in wanting to ensure workers’ representation at the ILC, the minister would have contacted the MTUC as soon as it received the invitation from the ILO.
“The minister did not do so then, but is giving excuses now. Instead of focusing on what the important issues are for Malaysia in this ILC, to improve the labour laws for better industrial relations and national development, his attention is on denying MTUC its rightful place in the ILC,” he alleged.
In response, the ministry argues the MTUC joint special committee lacks authority to appoint delegates, a stance Solomon calls misleading and intrusive. —June 8, 2025
Main image: J Soloman (Facebook)
