Employment relations and the state in Malaysia

Abstract

The post-colonial state in Malaysia has been driven primarily by the logic of pacification and accumulation, as reflected in its sustained reliance on export-oriented industrialisation and high levels of political control. These fundamental characteristics of the Malaysian state are reproduced in the realm of employment relations, which are dominated by managerial unilateralism as a consequence of a long history of union repression. Malaysia's adherence to a minimalist version of the tripartite framework promoted by the International Labour Organization and its long-standing status as a middle-income country have meant the kinds of international pressure and support for change evident in some other Southeast Asian countries is largely absent. Internally, pressure for change has been minimal because of the heavy hand of the state, which has made it clear that any challenge will be dealt with severely both at the individual and the organisational level. The situation has been exacerbated by the fact that many traditionally unionised export-oriented industries have shifted to contract workers and regulatory adjustments have allowed for enhanced employment flexibility.

Institutions and collective action in divided labour movements: Evidence from Indonesia

“…Another is that unions are politically independent and have no strong partisan links. Contemporary Indonesia fits this second pattern, as do the Philippines (Hutchison, 2015), Malaysia (Crinis and Pasasuraman, 2016), East Timor (Ford, 2016) and, for many years, Thailand (Brown, 2007). In both of these scenarios, the institutional context reinforces divisions among unions.…”

The Influence of Self-Efficacy in Ethical Consideration and Decision-Making Processes

“…Such practice may raise question as to whether employers should use their managerial prerogative to the extent of disregarding the rights of employees in order to secure business and financial gain (Parasuraman et al 2015). The inclusion of managerial privilege in organization structure and laws in a contractual manner becomes a manipulative tool to control and limits employee's right to challenge unethical management decision in workplace (Crinis & Parasuraman, 2016). On this premise, the action or inactions of Malaysian practitioner's emanate from the culture and business goals of the organization instead of self efficacy and ethics of the profession.…”

Back to the future: workplace relations and labour law in the 21st century in the Asia Pacific context

“…Malaysia's government has implemented various development policies, such as its economic corridors, but the success of these policies has been limited by the failure of the government to allow independent market forces to strengthen capacity. Favoured domestic firms have made increasing use of contract workers rather than increasing the efficiency and quality of an employed workforce (Crinis and Parasuraman ). The challenge will be to remain competitive in the exportation of manufactured goods while increasing wages, and to move up the value chain of manufacturing activity.…”