KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 14 ― The implementation of the RM1,500 minimum wage will be done on a gradual basis to allow a recovery in the country’s economy, said Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

He said if Malaysia starts spending money which it does not have, it would not be good for the country in the long run.          

"If we push the minimum wage higher, the cost of production will go up and we will not be competitive. The cost of living will also increase, hence people cannot buy what they used to buy,” he told reporters during a media conference in the Parliament here today. ― Bernama