Written by Gabriella Lee Mei Yan
On 23 and 24 October 2025, the Industrial Relations and Employment Club (IREC) 2025/2026 Session deployed 10 students to serve as secretariat members for the Kolokium Pergerakan Kesatuan Sekerja Peringkat Kebangsaan 2025, held at the Riverside Majestic Hotel, Kuching, Sarawak. Appointed by the Department of Trade Union Affairs Sarawak and supervised by Madam Dayang Asmah binti Awang Hamdan, a lecturer from the Industrial Relations and Employment Programme (IREP), Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (FSSH), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), the students supported the event’s operations before, during, and after the colloquium. The two-day national programme was successfully organised and officially concluded on 24 October 2025.
The colloquium centred on a range of contemporary issues related to trade unions and their sustainable development. Key topics discussed included the proposed amendments to the Trade Union Act 1959, trade union transformation in the era of digitalisation, government initiatives to strengthen progressive trade unions, challenges in succession planning, and the empowerment of women in trade union leadership.
A total of 59 representatives from trade unions across Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak participated in the event. The Director-General of the Department of Trade Union Affairs Malaysia, Haji Mohd Asri bin Abdul Wahad, attended as the special guest. The colloquium was officially opened by Yang Berhormat Datuk Gerawat Gala, Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department (Labour, Immigration and Project Monitoring).
Under the guidance of Industrial Relations and Employment Programme lecturer, Madam Dayang Asmah binti Awang Hamdan, the ten participating students contributed significantly to the smooth implementation of the event. They were entrusted with key responsibilities, including protocol management, registration, technical and multimedia support, and rapporteur duties.
Their involvement in this national-level programme provided not only invaluable hands-on experience but also strengthened the visibility and reputation of IREP and UNIMAS. With IREP students serving as part of the event’s working committee—and programme lecturers invited as speakers and moderators—the contributions of both the programme and the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (FSSH) were prominently highlighted. This collaboration further elevated UNIMAS’ presence in the field of industrial relations and opened future opportunities for its students and academic staff.
