SUNGAI PETANI: The Human Resources Ministry has urged employers to provide time off for their workers to cast their votes in the three by-elections on Tuesday.

Minister Datuk S. Subramaniam said workers staying near polling stations should be given several hours off to vote while those from outstation should get half a day or a day off work.

“No employer should penalise or prevent their workers from carrying out their responsibility,” he said after opening a job fair yesterday.

Subramaniam said the request for time-off was provided for under Section 25 of the Election Offences Act. He said that employers were liable to be charged or imposed fines of up to RM5,000 or a one-year jail if they failed to provide time-off for their workers.

Earlier in his speech, Subramaniam said 21,327 workers had been laid off including 1,246 in Kedah as of April 2.

-THE STAR-