TalentCorp Launches LIFE AT WORK Conference 2025 Ahead of National Workplace Awards

• Platform sets the tone for Malaysia’s next phase of workplace transformation and inclusion

KUALA LUMPUR, 15 October 2025: As Malaysia advances under Budget 2026: The People’s Budget, the nation’s workforce agenda continues to centre on people, emphasising flexibility, inclusion, and care as the foundations of sustainable and equitable growth. Reflecting this vision, Talent Corporation Malaysia Berhad (TalentCorp), the strategic think tank under the Ministry of Human Resources (KESUMA), convened the LIFE AT WORK (LAWA) Conference 2025, a national platform that brings together leaders, employers, and policymakers to drive Malaysia’s next phase of progressive and people-centred workplace transformation.

Carrying the theme “Driving the Future of Work: Sustainable, Inclusive & Human-Centred,” the conference marks Malaysia’s growing commitment to embed equitable and care-friendly practices into the heart of its economic agenda, setting the tone ahead of the LIFE AT WORK Awards 2025 on 30 October, which will recognise Malaysia’s most progressive employers advancing flexibility, inclusion, and employee wellbeing.

YB Steven Sim Chee Keong, Minister of KESUMA delivering his Keynote speech

At the launch event, YB Steven Sim Chee Keong, Minister of KESUMA, highlighted that Budget 2026 will continue to place Malaysians at the heart of national growth. He emphasised that raising job quality through people-centred policies and linking productivity with inclusion and wellbeing are key to ensuring Malaysians thrive in a rapidly changing world of work.

“When we create workplaces that care - where flexibility and wellbeing are valued, productivity follows. Through initiatives like TalentCorp’s LIFE AT WORK and Flexible Work Arrangements, we are shaping an economy that empowers every Malaysian to participate meaningfully,” he said.

YB Steven Sim shared that through TalentCorp’s initiatives, more than 900,000 employees have already benefited from flexible work arrangements. Employers, in turn, are seeing higher productivity, stronger engagement, and lower turnover, demonstrating that productivity grows when people are trusted and supported.

He added that KESUMA’s ongoing workforce policy reforms, including amendments to the Employment Act enabling formal flexible work applications, targeted tax incentives for care-friendly workplaces, and initiatives to raise women’s labour-force participation, reflect Malaysia’s broader mission to build an economy that values both growth and humanity.

TalentCorp Chairperson, YB Wong Shu Qi delivering her welcoming speech

TalentCorp Chairperson, YB Wong Shu Qi, described the LAWA 2025 Conference as a collaborative platform between government, employers, and the workforce, translating national workforce policies into real workplace action.

“Malaysia’s future competitiveness depends on how we treat our people. When employees feel supported and mentally well, they stay longer and perform better. LAWA connects national policy with real workplace action, helping organisations embed flexibility, inclusion, and care into their DNA,” she said.

More than 500 participants attended the one-day conference, featuring thought leadership sessions led by past LIFE AT WORK Awards winners. Discussions spanned topics such as inclusive leadership, neurodiversity, workplace redesign, and digital tools for employee well-being, all reinforcing Malaysia’s commitment to sustainable, human-centred workplaces.

The LIFE AT WORK Conference 2025 participants

The LIFE AT WORK Conference and Awards now serve as an annual cornerstone of Malaysia’s future-of-work agenda, complementing policy measures that reward employers for investing in people and progressive work practices. The Awards Ceremony, later this month, will recognise 33 progressive employers across 13 categories.

Through KESUMA and TalentCorp, the Government will continue to:

• Embed flexibility and care as productivity levers in the national workforce agenda;
• Incentivise inclusive workplace practices through policy and fiscal support; and
• Build a future-ready workforce ecosystem aligned with Malaysia MADANI’s values of dignity, compassion, and sustainability.

For more information about LIFE AT WORK 2025, visit www.lifeatwork.my

Issued by Talent Corporation Malaysia Berhad (TalentCorp)

15 October 2025