KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 — Advocates for workers in Malaysia want the government to table a Bill raising the minimum wage to RM1,500 at the coming parliamentary sitting.
The Ad-Hoc Committee for Minimum Wage RM1,500, said workers in the low-income bracket were hard pressed by rising living costs over the delay in the minimum wage that should have been implemented last year as announced by Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan, New Straits Times reported today.
“The minimum wage needs to be implemented immediately as the prices of goods are in the rise, putting pressure on low-income workers,” Ismail Ali, a spokesman for the group, was quoted saying after handing over a memorandum on the issue to the Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya yesterday.
Some 30 representatives from 104 workers’ union nationwide were reportedly present during the handover.
Among them were the Government Contract Workers Network (JPKK), Informal Workers’ Network (JFTP) and the Plantation Workers’ Support group (JSML).
Saravanan was reported saying earlier this month that a new minimum wage of “around RM1,500 a month” is expected to be enforced before the end of this year.
He said the Cabinet had given its approval for the implementation, but added that the actual rate was not yet finalised.
