Dismissed From a Kuching Job
A Kuching employer ended your job and you want to understand what comes next.
Kuching is the Sarawak capital, a services, administration and tourism centre. It is known for the Waterfront, the state legislative assembly and its cat statues, with Vivacity Megamall and the surrounding retail belt employing a large share of the local workforce.
Employment here sits under the Sarawak Labour Ordinance for many entitlement questions. The same Industrial Relations Act 1967 process still applies across Malaysia for unfair dismissal claims.
Who works in Kuching
Services and administrative staff make up a large share of local employment. Many work for government linked bodies or larger corporate offices, where HR processes tend to be formal.
Tourism workers around the Waterfront form a second group. Some face shift cuts or terminations tied to slower travel seasons that deserve closer documentation.
Oil and gas support staff round out the mix, frequently on contract terms. A project ending can be used to explain what may really be a targeted dismissal.
Where a Kuching case is heard
Conciliation for a Kuching case runs through Sarawak’s JPPM office, and the matter is heard at the Industrial Court’s own branch in Kuching.2
A written representation must reach the Director General within sixty days of your dismissal.1 The deadline calculator works out your exact date.
What is different about working here
Sarawak’s own Labour Ordinance runs alongside the Industrial Relations Act, so a Kuching worker often has to check two separate frameworks rather than one.
As the seat of state government, Kuching also has a larger share of statutory bodies and government linked companies, which tend to follow written procedures more closely than smaller private firms.
What to hold onto before you act
Ask for your termination letter or any budget cut notice in writing, and keep your appointment letter alongside it. A verbal explanation given in a meeting is easy to dispute later.
Save emails or memos referring to organisational changes, since these can show whether a stated reason was decided before or after your case came up.
Documenting the actual reason given against what was recorded in any HR paperwork helps show whether a dismissal had genuine cause.
Once you have your termination letter or contract, a short message can help work out how a Kuching claim would proceed.
Common questions
I work near Vivacity Megamall and was dismissed without warning. Does the usual process apply in Sarawak?
Section 20 protection still applies here, and your entitlements also sit alongside the Sarawak Labour Ordinance. The Industrial Court has its own branch in Kuching that hears local cases.
My employer near the Waterfront said tourism was slow and ended my contract. What should I check?
A genuine downturn can be a valid reason, but keep your contract and any message about the decision. Whether similar roles continued matters.
A government linked office near the legislative assembly cited budget cuts. Does that change anything?
A budget cut can be a genuine reason, but the process leading up to your termination still needs to be fair. Ask for the reason in writing if you have not already received it.
Where does a Kuching case actually get heard?
A Kuching claim runs through Sarawak's JPPM conciliation process, then to the Industrial Court's Kuching branch if it does not settle. The deadline calculator confirms your filing date.
Sources
- A worker dismissed without just cause or excuse may make a written representation to the Director General of Industrial Relations seeking reinstatement within sixty days of the dismissal under Section 20 of the Industrial Relations Act 1967. Mah Weng Kwai & Associates
- The Industrial Court sits at its Kuala Lumpur headquarters with branches including Penang, Ipoh, Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching. Malaysian Counsel
Keep reading
Once you have your termination letter or contract, a short message can help work out how a Kuching claim would proceed.