KUALA LUMPUR | The government has tabled a bill to amend the Employees Provident Fund Act 1991 to stop anyone from leaving the country unless they settle all outstanding dues to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) first.
Section 39 of the Employees Provident Fund (Amendment) Act 2019, summarises the intention of the bill as “preventing person from leaving Malaysia without paying contributions”.
Subsection 1 (a), states: “Where the EPF chief executive officer has reason to believe that any person is about or is likely to leave Malaysia without paying any outstanding and due contributions under this Act, the CEO may issue to the director-general of immigration a certificate containing particulars of the person to be prevented from leaving the country unless he pays the outstanding and due contributions, or furnishes security to the satisfaction of the CEO for its payment.”
The bill states that any person who leaves Malaysia without paying the outstanding contributions, despite knowing that such a letter has been issued, shall be guilty of an offence.
Any person found guilty of this offence shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or a fine of not more than RM2,000.
