KUALA LUMPUR, June 24 — Minister of Human Resources, R. Ramanan, reaffirmed the MADANI Government’s commitment to strengthening the role of trade unions as strategic partners in safeguarding workers’ welfare and promoting inclusive economic growth.
Speaking at the Peninsular Malaysia-level 2026 Trade Union Affairs Programme (PHEKS) Grant Presentation Ceremony, attended by more than 1,500 trade union members from across Peninsular Malaysia, Ramanan announced the distribution of RM2.88 million in grants to 315 trade unions nationwide.
He said the Ministry of Human Resources (KESUMA) remains committed to empowering trade unions to ensure workers’ rights are respected, welfare is protected, and the benefits of economic development are shared fairly among all Malaysians.
“For 2026, a total of RM6.1 million has been allocated for the implementation of PHEKS nationwide. The programme will support training, education, research, digitalisation, governance empowerment, outreach initiatives, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities,” he said.
Ramanan emphasised that trade unions play a much broader role than merely serving as a platform for workers to voice grievances.
“Trade unions are the voice of workers, an important mechanism for checks and balances, and a key partner in national development,” he said.
Addressing the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the future of work, he stressed the importance of equipping Malaysian workers with new skills to remain competitive in a rapidly changing employment landscape.
He noted that KESUMA has introduced various training initiatives, including the AI MyMahir Roadshow, aimed at helping Malaysians acquire future-ready digital and technological skills.
“When workers are protected, the economy grows. When workers are respected, the nation becomes more prosperous. And when workers succeed, Malaysia will continue to move forward,” he added.
— MINUTESMY
![KUALA LUMPUR, JUNE 24 -- The Child Protection Code (CPC) sets out a safe, practical and responsible age verification mechanism to ensure that only eligible users are allowed to access social media platforms. Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the CPC together with the Risk Reduction Code (RMC) were published by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) on May 22, and came into effect on June 1 under the Online Safety Act 2025 [Act 866]. He said both codes aim to create a safer online environment, particularly to protect children from online risks and harm. "Under the CPC, licensed service providers offering social media services are required to implement an age verification mechanism, rather than identity verification, to ensure compliance with the minimum age limit set. "Users who have reached the age of 16 are allowed to register and have social media accounts, while individuals under that age are not allowed to open or have social media accounts until they reach the specified age," he said during a question and answer session at the Dewan Rakyat, today. He was answering Syahredzan Johan's (PH-Bangi) original question regarding the purpose of implementing age verification for social media accounts, as well as measures to ensure access to personal data is restricted and deleted after use. Fahmi said the implementation of the mechanism should be done safely, practically and respectful of user privacy, in line with the requirements set out under the CPC. Social media service providers are also required to ensure that the process complies with laws relating to personal data protection, including the principles of data minimization, and purpose limitation by limiting data collection to information necessary for age verification purposes and disposing of it upon completion. He said the age verification mechanism should be implemented based on official documents issued by the Malaysian Government such as MyKad, passport, birth certificate or other documents recognised by the government. "To ensure that the age verification mechanism is not manipulated, age verification must be supported by official government records and not just self-declaration." "The CPC also allows the use of other documents recognised by the Malaysian Government, including equivalent records issued by competent authorities in other jurisdictions so that access to online protection can be provided equitably to all children regardless of their documentation status," he said. Fahmi said the implementation of age verification does not permanently prevent children from using social media, but rather postpones account ownership until they reach the age of 16, and have a more appropriate level of maturity to use the platform safely and responsibly. He said the approach known as the "Wait 16" initiative was introduced to protect children and families from online risks and harm. -- BERNAMA](https://minutesmy.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/TB_Fahmi-Fadzil-Dewan-Rakyat_BERNAMA-1024x576.webp)
