KUALA LUMPUR – The enforcement of the RM1,500 minimum wage for employers with fewer than five workers, which starts today, will eliminate discrimination against workers in small and medium enterprises (SMEs), who have been complaining about their low wages.
Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) secretary-general Kamarul Baharin Mansor said the RM300 salary surplus would provide relief to employees and help improve their quality of life.
“MTUC hopes that this will alleviate the discontent of workers who are being burdened by the rise in the cost of goods,” he said in a statement today.
Kamarul Baharin also called on the Manpower Department to take a proactive approach to effectively enforcing the minimum wage order, including by conducting regular workplace inspections.
“(The department) should not just wait for complaints from employees to take action,” he said.
On December 27 last year, Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar announced that the implementation of the minimum wage order for employers with less than five workers had been postponed again from January 1 to July 1 this year.
He said the decision was made after taking into account the views of the many stakeholders who may be affected by financial and economic uncertainties.
The minimum wage order has taken effect on May 1 with a minimum wage of RM1,500 per month for employers with five or more workers in all sectors, regardless of region. – Bernama, July 1, 2023
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