KUALA LUMPUR, April 9 — Deputy Human Resources Minister Datuk Mahfuz Omar said today that the Pakatan Harapan government will not tolerate any more attempts by employers to postpone the RM1,100 monthly minimum wage to their workers.
He said the 2012 deferment under the Barisan Nasional government was a one-off measure.
“It was meant to give employers, particularly those in labour-intensive fields, to review their business model and hiring structure in their respective companies,” Mahfuz said in the Dewan Rakyat in response to Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin.
The Umno lawmaker wanted to know how many employers have complied with the minimum wage policy since it took effect in January this year and how many had deferred its implementation.
Mahfuz said 98 per cent of employers have complied with the policy, based on the Labour Department’s enforcement data.
“From January 1 to February 28, the department conducted 7,695 examinations. It also investigated labour claims of employers who allegedly failed to pay minimum wages.
“During the same period, 95 cases were filed by employees, of which 66 have been resolved and the remainder 29 cases still within the department’s purview,” he said.
Mahfuz added 78 complaints were received between January 1 and February 28 over the failure to pay minimum wages, 61 of which have been resolved and the remainder 17 still in the department’s purview.
