A company’s prosperity must be shared fairly with its workers in one way or another to ensure worker retention, says Human Resources Minister Steven Sim in his speech during the signing of the collective agreement 2025 between Star Media Group and the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) on Oct 21.
00:00Congratulations to NUJ and to the management of the staff.
00:13Many of the staff are over 25 years.
00:21I think the spirit of the accomplishment of this CA demonstrated why.
00:28Show you the reason why people in the staff stay.
00:31Because when you pay your worker well, when you treat your worker well, then talent stays with you.
00:37When I go to forums, a very off-asked question, not only by journalists, but also by employers sometimes.
00:45They say, what is the government's effort to ensure that we can stop brain drain?
00:52Very off-asked question.
00:54I always say, yes, the government has a lot to do, definitely.
00:58There's institutional issues, systemic issues that we have to deal with,
01:01we have to deal with the structure of the economy.
01:03But ultimately, the competition is not just a competition between the government of Malaysia and let's say Singapore.
01:10It is also between companies in Malaysia and your competitors and your counterparts in other countries, or even in this country.
01:19If you take care of your worker well, if you pay your worker well, if you pay your talent well, then you will have the sticking power.
01:27I mean, we have done the surveys, 2024 survey, almost 40% of workers, they said, other than just wages and salary alone, they are looking at a more flexible working arrangement.
01:42They are looking for work-life balance, they are looking for positive working environment and working culture.
01:48So those are actually the proof factor.
01:53At one forum, an employer asked me, he said, why are you pushing for the so-called progressive labour practices?
02:02For example, 60P and 60Q of the Employment Act 1955, basically providing flexible working arrangement.
02:11They say, no, you cannot.
02:12Of course, we understand that not all tasks in the workplace can be done remotely.
02:20But mind you, working from home is just one form of flexible working arrangement.
02:25There are other forms, right?
02:26But I tell them, you know, workers are looking for progressive practices.
02:32And this is one, right?
02:33When you provide them that flexibility, when you provide them that work-life balance,
02:38when you provide them with that positive working environment, positive working culture,
02:44and of course, a good salary, then definitely you can get the talents to stay with you.
02:50So, the prologue of brain drain is not for the government to settle alone.
02:58It requires the whole of society, it requires the whole of industry's effort, right?
03:03The prologue of our Industrial Relations Act, actually, which means it's written into our law,
03:09we want to achieve industrial harmony.
03:12So, it is not a zero-sum game, yeah?
03:16I think companies have to make a profit and we want to help companies, especially SMEs in Malaysia,
03:22to compete, to be profitable, to be highly profitable, to increasing the value.
03:26But at the same time, we want the fruit of our prosperity to also be shared, yeah?
03:34Equitably, if not equally, by our workers who are working very hard to build the company, to build the country.
03:40So, thank you so much. Congratulations to the staff.
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