KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 27 — The proposed amendment to the Employment Act 1955 to address discrimination in workplaces following the issue of the ban on ‘tudung’ (hijab or headscarf) in the hotel industry is expected to be tabled at the next Parliament sitting from March 5 to April 5.

Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Richard Riot Jaem said the ministry was pursuing a tripartite discussion involving employers, employees and the government to refine the proposed amendments.

"The Human Resources Ministry takes a serious view of the alleged discrimination issues at several hotels in the country,” he said in a statement here today.

He said the ministry’s checks at 88 hotels in Peninsular Malaysia from last month to yesterday found 13 of them adopting ‘standard grooming’ which prohibited hijab-wearing women workers, especially for the frontline staff and those attached to the food and beverages outlets.

"The Labour Department of Peninsular Malaysia has advised 13 hotels to take corrective action and stop the no-headscarf policy,” added Riot.

He said the Malaysian Association of Hotels had given its commitment to urge its members not to adopt any policy that prohibited the use of hijab among female workers at the workplace. — Bernama