PUTRAJAYA (April 2): The government is exploring next possible steps following Monday's High Court ruling, which determined that a judgement from the Industrial Court is not binding on the US Embassy due to its immunity.

Human Resources Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong stated that his ministry takes the decision seriously, and the matter will also be raised in Wednesday's Cabinet meeting.

"The Ministry of Human Resources regards the court's decision seriously, and we are closely monitoring it with our legal officers."

"We need to first review the grounds of judgement, because they haven't been released yet. Our legal officers will also discuss with the Attorney General's Chambers to determine the next steps," he told reporters after the pre-launch of Labour Day celebration here on Tuesday.

On Monday, media outlets reported that the High Court had granted a judicial review application filed by the US government to overturn an RM66,000 Industrial Court award given to a former security guard for wrongful dismissal 15 years ago.

The High Court found that the US Embassy had immunity and was, therefore, protected from the jurisdiction of the Industrial Court concerning the claim.

As for calls to reassess the memorandum of understanding (MOU) concerning formal sector workers from Indonesia to Malaysia, he confirmed that the issue will be addressed during a joint working committee meeting between the two countries scheduled for May.

"Malaysia is the host this time. We will discuss and review the issue of the MOU," he said.

Previously, Indonesia called for a review of the MOU covering formal sector workers from the country to Malaysia, particularly in plantation and construction, as it had not been revised for 20 years.

Indonesia's Ambassador to Malaysia Datuk Hermono emphasised the importance of the embassy's participation in monitoring the recruitment process of workers to Malaysia and tackling wage issues to ensure alignment with Malaysia’s minimum wage policy.

He clarified that Indonesia and Malaysia had signed two MOUs related to migrant workers covering all sectors in 2004, adding that the specific MOU regarding Indonesian domestic workers was ratified by both countries on April 1, 2022.